--------- pre-commission meeting to order at 8:03 a.m. Uh, any questions about the consent agenda? I did. Yes, I'm good. on number 10. Can you just clarify how
much or we're auctioning off vehicles? I'm assuming on that one. Well, we will put those on the gov deals website for auction. Okay. So, is that all we're auctioning off our cars? Yes, ma'am. The uh the Crown Victoria
and then the 2010 Chevrolet 59. Thank you. [Music] All right. Any other questions on consent agenda? All right. Um 12, discussion regarding options for search of a new city
manager. I know there's been some uh have followed up with the city attorney since that time, since our last discussion on this. Um do you have any updates you like to share with all of us as commission? I don't have any updates. I know Gerard Gerard is trying to meet with all of you to firm up the criteria
each of you are searching for. Um, and I'm meeting with him after this meeting today. Um, so I may have more of a report on Tuesday, but I don't have anything for you today. Got it. Um, I think Commissioner Warick, you're the only one that has to finish meeting with him that today. Yeah, I meet him um after we get done
with this in the budget workshop. Okay. All right. So, we should have more information on Tuesday in regards to what is the consensus of the commission um regarding the criteria that we're looking for and possibly the process,
things of that nature regarding the uh search for a new city manager. All right. Uh 13, discussion of forensic audit, scope of working committee. Yes, I'm still uh uh asking for an audit. I did find out that there is a
state organization that will provide an audit free and I don't have the I do not have the name of that organization with me. Personally, I would like to I would like to see it go back um to 21
when um Marggo Anderson left and do it year by year and if they don't find anything then we stop. Um, but I I would really um like it to entail purchasing procedures, how those are done and how
they've been done and who signs off on all that. That's it. Yeah. Right. Uh, any other input, Miss Myers? I will say that um
depending on the scope of the price and I'm not familiar with the state agency that will do it for free, but um I am aware of the Florida statute that requires um the audit committee to prepare an RFP for any audit services. Um the city commission sits as the audit
committee. So if if this procurement exceeds if we estimate it will exceed um 35,000 and therefore needing a competitive bid, we will need to prepare one for this commission to approve to start that procurement process because you sit as the audit committee. Um so
you will have to approve the substance of that RFP before we put it out to bid. And I just I want to just make you aware there is a Florida statute that requires a specific process for procurement here in addition to your own policies. Okay.
I think I think we got to be and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think we need to be very specific on what we want on that because if you don't put it on there, they're not going to do it and then you might get disappointed. So, um yeah, you got to be very specific on
what you want them to look for and and that. Well, we definitely want um the per purchasing procedures looked at. Is it a specific department or a type of purchase you're concerned about? Those only those o over $50,000 over those
over $200,000 or anything? Go ahead, Pat. Uh I I'm just looking at who's signing off on them and what they're uh for example um Bobby found a place in Freeport, which I
have no problem with, by the way. I didn't mean to indicate that the other day. um that worked on the clock and that clock was $51,000. We only paid 24 and when I called them they had no idea
that they had never paid for the that we had not paid for the other 24 and that took place in 2024 in April. So it's stuff like that. Um, I don't know. I have no idea if it's done intentionally or not, but I think we
need to look at that kind of thing and see who signed off on it. May I clear up just a little bit of that? The um company presented us a deposit invoice which was paid at the time that the invoice was presented to the city. Mhm.
We only received the second invoice this week. So, it wasn't the city not paying an invoice. We had we they had not presented the final invoice to the city. That will be paid in the next check run. Thank you,
Miss M. Tender. I was just going to say that um city manager and Kiki, we are bud Are we not budgeting for a procurement person? Yes, sir. We are and we're actively recruiting right now. and that
procurement person will probably take on the duties of securing the purchases and everything in the manner in which you want it done and everybody else. So I I hope that we can lean on, you know, an individual or someone with a position
that their priority is procurement so that that would handle purchasing stuff and and I guess I don't know the technical rules. I'm just spouting off. I guess in regards to procurement, if I recall, when we were in the trailers,
um, didn't we have a procurement person on staff when we were in the trailers? We do have a procurement clerk. Okay. Which is the person in finance who does the approvals of the requisition. Now, currently the purchasing policy is
$3,500 in at the department head level. $3,500. The $35,000 is at the assistant city manager level and then 35,000 and above above is commission approval and city manager. Okay, good for you.
We continue to have that procurement clerk. Okay, we're adding a procurement manager to handle the RFPs, the RFQS, that sort of thing. Got it. Because all that responsibil or a lot of that responsibility falls on the department heads right now, right? Currently. Yes.
Right. And so I mean they don't do that all the time. So you probably want someone who's a subject matter expert to be able to do that. From what I'm understanding, the the audit is mostly to make sure proced followed as far as commission approval, city manager approval,
department had approval, nothing was obtained without quotes or like that. Yes, that that's basically it. And I just common sense tells me that when you have a a addition or change in the commission, there should be some sort of
audit to clear or protect the the incoming or whatever. So commission you have the annual audit that is and who does that the same auditing? James Moyes.
Okay. All right. Anything else on the discussion regarding the forensic audit? [Music] All right. Discussion regarding establishing city clerk position reporting to the commission view to separating city clerk duties from the
office of city manager. Um have had a few citizens to reach out to me to ask if this is something that the commission would discuss um with us at this time being at the juncture of hiring a new city manager. would this be the time for us to look at actually um separating those duties? Know it's a discussion
we've had previously. Um previously one of the things we we discussed was how does this reflect in our charter? Um I have spoke briefly with the city attorney about what that would look like from a charter perspective. Um so she's done some research on that. She'll give us a few pointers but we can have more
deep discussion on Tuesday. So basically, if you uh wish to establish a city clerk position that reports to you, that's creating essentially a new charter office position that will require a change to the charter. The commission can initiate that change to the charter. I I haven't
seen your charter review committee resolution to know what their requirements are. you likely have I don't know if they they need to be involved in the process for a commission initiated review um or if their scope is limited to the every five year cycle. I
don't I don't know that. So u but I do know that you can initiate it if you want to and it is probable that it will need to involve them at some point at least for a discussion and maybe a recommendation as well. Um but statutes authorize you to do that. It would
require um an election. you have to referendum to have the voters approve that. If you decide to move forward, I will speak with the supervisor about whether you can piggyback a November election or whether you'll have to do a standalone um election. Um how that
happens will dictate how much a special election costs. Um but that's that's down the road. Now, would we be able to, I guess, appoint someone in a temporary position until we actually change the charter or until
that would actually go before the public with the charter change? No, it would be uh contrary until you get that charter change, your charter requires all officers of the city to be subordinate to the city manager. Um, so it would be in conflict. Um, having a
pending ordinance that's out there may give you some color of authority. I'm not sure it gives you actual authority. So that that was my question. Can we if we agree and it's recommended by the charter committee and the commission agrees and to and to offset the cost of
an election, could we pass an ordinance, you know, re to to, you know, recommending to the point that we can put it on on a on a ballot and and then and then, you know, have the position created and just do it do it by
ordinance until we have it in in the form of a ballot. if everyone agrees like we the charter committee would would would you know would recommend you know if no one's at odds about it. So that would that would be would that work for a short time.
I would still be wary of you hiring someone and putting someone at that in that position prior to prior to the citizens blessing that vote. Right. The worst worst case scenario is you hire someone and then the charter amendment does not go through. You had
no authority. Um you will you would run it you would run it through the charter you know along get their feedback first. You would you would you you could poll the citizens and do whatever before an election you know and see if it's if it's just thing
and I don't feel that it should be a position that's appointed. I think they should have a referendum or something where they're elected. I mean is that what you're talking about? Just appointing a clerk? Well, I'm I I am talking about having a
creating a new city a charter position that reports like city manager at the pleasure of the commission thing. Yeah, I get that. Generally, those positions are appointed um because the commission wants the control over who holds that role.
You I'm not aware of any city clerks that are elected. Um that's not to say you couldn't do it. I'm just not a I don't know that that's the norm. County clerks What did you say? I missed what you said. I just said that city clerks not aren't
normally elected. Sometimes county sometimes county clerks. Yeah, county clerks are a political office. Yep. Um so anyway, I it can be done. I will say that uh your charter only speaks to a city manager. It's your code that speaks to the combined city manager
clerk position. So the cleanup of your code um to separate the duties of the manager and the clerk that can be done by the commission that can be done while you're waiting for the referendum to be approved if you were and we can also
make it effective upon the approval of the referendum so that you don't and have two versions of it code that are inconsistent. Um, but there are numerous provisions in your code, not just in chapter 2, but throughout 14, 26, 30,
42, 50, 54, 70, and even your LDC that specifically give some uh powers to the city combined city manager clerk position. Um, curiously, in two places in your code, you do have duties that
are already assigned exclusively to the to a city clerk. curious. So, we can we can clean that up. That does not require a referendum, but I again I don't know that you'd want it to be effective until the referendum is.
It's possible. It is procedural, but it's possible. So, the the first step would be that we would request to put it before our charter committee. You can you can do the first reading of an ordinance. You can direct me to draft an ordinance that changes the charter to
create a city clerk position. Um or you can uh call up the charter committee and direct them to consider charter amendments to establish a city clerk position. Do it either way. You can take the lead or you can delegate it. Right. Any other questions or discussion
on that? All right. Moving on to number 15. discussion and possible approval for train storage facility. Any questions on that? All right. Number 16, discussion of possible approval to authorize mayor to
sign amendment three for the CDBG disaster relief or disaster recovery hazard mitigation grant program for 10th Street. Any questions about that? Could you just kind of give us an
overview? Yes, sir. It's um just extending the the deadline on this one. This should be the last extension for this grant as it was approved and construction is starting on it, but it's just to keep up with the the final dates for CD.
Thanks. All right. 17. Um, awarding the bid to legislative stormwater improvements phase one to Emerald Co site construction for 190,000.
Questions? Yeah. Can you um It sounds like to me reading this that it's not going to include everything that was originally put out. Can you explain how all that Yes, a couple things on this. So, this is the appropriation we got few years
back. We got a million dollar legislative appropriation to work on storm water outfalls. There were 56 total outfalls we looked at. We didn't design all 56. I've got the um I printed off the maps of phase 1 A and 1B just to to give you guys to refresh your memory.
Um so the first phase we bid out did three outfalls. This phase had to get some permits on. We did not get those permits until March. Got them. We bid it out. We have $223,000 left in the appropriation that we can request for
reimbursement. Some of that $223,000 includes. So once we receive bids, we were only able to award one outfall. It is staff's recommendation to award outfall number 23. That's one that needs the most work. And there's a photo of that in the
packet as well of what the outfall looks like today. Um, so we have that project will be $190,000 and then engineering and we'll submit for the reimbursement final $223. So the the question I have is Emer site
instructions amount of 329,791 but we're only spending $190,288. Yes sir. So their overall bid for outfall 20all 10 was the 323 850 construction was actually the low bidder overall. However, we're only going to
award one outfall. And when we do that, Emerald Co site construction is low bidder for outfall 23. Okay. So, we just decrease the scope award. Yes, sir. To to fit the the price, the amount of money we have left. Okay. Thank you. And I'm going to pass these down too, just so everyone has a copy of
front page. There is 1 A. The green highlighted ones are the ones we completed the last phase. And then the next phase or the next page is the remaining outfalls that were in this. We'll add that the bid form requested the bids per outfall. So there was a bid
and then so a bid for outfall 23, a bid for outfall 10, and then the total lump sum price. Um the bid form also expressly noted that the city could reserve the right to award any portion of the project. So is this is this all the money? Will
there be will there be other other work? There is more work to do. Yes, sir. But we are out of money once this is complete. We have $223,000 left and we can get reimbursed for this and the engineering will wipe that out. So we have double ready projects that we can
submit legislative appropriation request, right? Other grant requests or this we can decide to fund out of pocket. Does there's is there is this would this fall under resiliency money or anything like that? Some of these are resilient projects that we could apply for. Yes. Okay.
Good. Approval of design option for James E. Rogers Park. Questions? And we talked about this a little bit um in the budget workshop right before we had to abruptly leave. But this is a
FEMA project. Um the design is done. We designed two different options. uh staff met with residents on site as well as um several have called they come in. Um so a couple different options here. One is to build rebuild James Rogers Park upgraded with basketball courts, pickle
ball courts, playground and another option is to build it without the pickle ball courts but with all the other features. The residents have requested pickle ball courts. However, it is against staff's recommendation to put pickle ball courts in this neighborhood because of the
noise, the crowds that they attract, and the amount of vehicles that would be parked on the roadways causing issues in the future. So, staff recommends the design option without the pickle ball just because of the location of the park or the money can the 428 money can be
used to put towards the city hall construction. However, it is staff's recommendation to move forward with constructing a park as the residents have desired and they want pickle ball. Some residents do want pickle ball, some do not.
This is a Bair neighborhood. Yes, sir. What we do? We knock on doors or we just say, "Hey, we had meetings there at the park." We did. Yes, sir. And then um Mr. Ferris and I'm sure Justin as well gets several calls a month on the status of James Rogers Park
and what's going to go there. My main concern is the intersection right there at Publix is already one of the worst ones in the city. So, if we add the traffic, as we all know, people love pickle ball and a
lot of people show up for pickle ball. And as soon as we add pickle ball courts there, that's just going to add more miss to the traffic in that area. You could get out three other ways. I trust me, I've told people that a million times and I agree with you. People for some reason don't want to go
out those three ways and I don't get it. I do. You can go out to 26th Street real easy. That's that's the route I go. I'll go to 26, but cuz that's that's back in Bair. It's not up near those that intersection. But that is that is that is a
a messed up spaghetti junction right there. I know. Um this was originally brought up because of the storm water issues there. So with this design, is this going to take care of the storm water problem that's in that corner there? It
is going to help with the storm water problem. It's not going to resolve 100% of the issues there because of this ditch collects everything south on Harrison and Jinx Avenue and then it flows and has to cross under 390. So the problem is the ditch gets full and backs
up into uh the road there. So, this pond will help collect some of that and it will be a heavier rainfall that it can handle before it comes out in the roadway, but it will not solve 100% of water ever coming into the roadway. Well, I mean, roadway is one thing.
Houses is a different thing. Yes, sir. And there the house that's across from that driveway there, that house has flooded in the past. However, that house has not flooded in the past 5 years since work has been done in this area. Okay. Yeah. Put extra drains in over there, too, right?
Yes, sir. Yeah. And not only that, I know there's 390. There was some work there that kind of caused some issues at one time. I don't remember when that was. I think it was early when I did my first term. And uh seemed like since they've done that,
it's helped quite a bit. Right. They have installed those box covers there and it flows much better under 390. Oh, okay. So, we would encourage anyone from Bair to be at the meeting to tell us how they feel about this park and what the what
the finality is going to be. So, Bair residents, please, let's hear from you. I'm of the opinion, and I'm glad staff brought it up to us, that you put pickle ball courts in there, you're going to get a lot of complaints because it does
make a noise that just going to be the neighbors around are going to constantly hear unique sounds. Yeah. Yes. And there's 11 11 parking spots there. You could have four to eight
vehicles just in two matches, two pickle ball matches of people that waiting to play. So the parking lot could fill up very quick and then people are just going to start piling up down the road in front of people's homes. Pickle ball fights. Love them.
All right. Um number 19, resolution for extending the city's finance review committee. Uh one of the primary changes that we've made to this um based on citizen
feedback and and also for clarity, you'll see in section three on page 53 that although the medi the committee is still going to have seven members, the city manager and deputy finance director will only serve on committee as non voting members. Um I think initially
when we established the finance review committee and the debt review committee, that was I think that was our understanding. um but wasn't necessarily clarified. So still have seven members appointed by the commission but
city manager and deputy finance will be non- voting members um for that and also this will extend through the 2026 2027 um budget adoption. So at that time it need to be brought back to the commission um in order for it to get extended again. So any other questions
on this resolution? If we wanted to permanently have this committee, what would need to be done? Is that a charter review change? You would just change your sunset provision. Okay.
Indefinite. Mhm. Okay. Until terminated by the city commission. Okay. You I mean, it's up to you. If you want it to be permanent, you could do an ordinance that codifies them and includes them in the code as a permanent board of the city. Right. Um but preliminarily it's just revising your sunset provision.
Okay. Thanks. All right. Now, is that something we want to consider now or something to consider in the future? You know, in my opinion, I would like to keep it permanent. I mean, I'm fine with it because we can always terminate it if later if we don't
like it, which I don't foresee you not liking it, but you know, Right. And it's been extended each time we brought it back. So it continues to be extended and put back into uh to working order.
All right. Um so city attorney, is that something we can do within this resolution? I can change the sunset um provision here um and then start working on an ordinance if you'd like me to. I can at least change the sunset provision for
Tuesday. Uh, yes, if you could do that. And is everyone okay with her working on ordinance for that? All right. And if you could begin working on the ordinance as well. [Music] And uh, number 19, approval for updating
Mr. Lightfoot's compensation to reflect his new duties as interim city manager. city attorney. So, he has taken on um additional duties since his appointment and we staff would like to recommend that you uh approve
additional compensation to him for those duties. Um you can do that um in one of two ways with a a straight percentage increase. I think I believe the um I don't see a car in my package, but I
believe a car was prepared with two options for you. um to consider as a means to provide that additional compensation. Um does everyone have this car? I don't know why. I just don't see it in mine.
Um so you can increase his rate of pay to that of the previous city manager is option one. Option two, which is recommended by staff, is to increase his current annual salary by 20% so that he is at least 5% above the highest paid employee while he is serving as interarm city manager.
All right, discussion. Oh, one more thing. It's also recommended that a car allowance of $450 a month be also approved as as an additional benefit with this additional compensation. Yes, ma'am. Um, I have a question. Do you already
have a city card that you use? No, ma'am. Um, currently I turn in a mileage report every month. Okay. All right. Other discussion. So with the car allowance, there would no that would replace the mileage
report, right? And how much car allowance are we talking? 450. Which is lower than the previous, right? Yeah. Mhm. You increased her car allowance, I
think, to 600 or 700. 750. I thought it was increased to 750. And that was after, I don't know, a few years of being at 450, I think it was. Yeah. All right. Well, stop at night.
Mine Mine does as well. Several of our packages seem to the backup seems to stop um at item number 19. Yeah. So, and for whatever that's worth.
Oh, we haven't got the first page. Got this. We're missing 20 and 21. And I don't know if there was one for 21. Yes, there is. Is there's right here? Don't have the cars.
Okay. Can be it can be fixed before Tuesday. Yeah, we'll get the cars in before Tuesday's meeting. Okay. So, there is no Right. They were none in this packet. We'll get them sent out this afternoon. Okay. They were prepared. They just for
whatever reason didn't get included. We're talking dollars or percentages. So, I don't I I mean I don't know. So, uh, two ways. Option one is to increase the city interim city manager's rate of pay to that of the previous city manager. Um, Miss Gainner's hourly rate
was $79.92 per hour. Option two is to increase his current salary by 20%. That would increase his hourly rate to $64.84 an hour. Now, what would that look like if we put that on an annual scale?
Okay. So, all right. Under option one, increasing to Vickiy's rate, uh would be based on a $166,240 annual salary. Um option two, um is based on a $135,580
annual salary. Again, this information will be in the report you get and that and that include the second option and that that annual amount includes the fuel um car allowance or no
the car allowance is completely a separate benefit and consideration. Thanks. CJ was asking who did she get the car from for that? I believe Jennifer prepared it. I sent it to Amy and Chris and it probably just just didn't get forwarded all the way
for okay review which is and as an added note um the reason to consider this is it's called he will be working out of classification um with the additional duties he is
working in a higher level class which should come with an additional compensation It's the research shows either you take them to whatever the existing or the prior position was making. So that has
some considerations in terms of years of experience etc. or you do a percentage above so it's compensated as if they've gotten a promotional raise. What was the city manager's salary prior to prior to the last merit increase? It
was $166,000 and some change. I don't have the No, we did we did a prior we did it was like around like 140 148 actually about 153 after the last call. It was 154 and change.
Thank you. Before that increase. Okay. So contractually what was it? Cuz that's what we were looking at. That's the number we were given. What was on the contract? it the number in the contract I believe was 143 but she had received colas on top of that right let's
it ended up at 154ish right I don't know let's start the guy at 140 um is there a standard or measurement we've used in the past in regards to percentages for interim city managers um with the prior city um city manager
it was a 15% increase Um, I weighed in current leadership staff and also cost of living. There is not a standard nationally and that's why part of you the one-on-
ons is to determine ranges and locations. There's so many different factors that go into setting a compensation and a compensation package. Um the car allowance was added because the city manager is expected to make
more trips to go to more meetings um both before work, after work, that sort of thing. Um but it's up to the discretion and the decision of the commission. This sound this sounds very petty, but um like for example, the the thing you
just went to in Chicago last week. Was that to learn more about city manage city manager job or utilities conference? That was the annual public works conference I attend every year. I'm actually on the emergency management committee. So I go we have our committee
meeting Saturday and then the conference starts Sunday. Okay. Thank you. And you won't consider uh free vacations and lunch, right? I think that's against that purchasing policy again. Yeah, I agree.
No such thing as a free lunch. All right. So, any other questions on this or any other further discussion? Well, we we have to agree on something, so let's do it here. That's what Tuesday is for. Oh, decisions can't be made at this meeting. Sorry. Yeah.
I think he just wanted us to have a consensus of the number, but yeah, I can adjust the car as well if you need me to. Um, bucking for 140 and a car. All right. Well, you guys will knock me down, but that's that that puts him in the ballpark. I
mean, it's less than what the contract was on the last city manager and gives him gives him, you know, a decent salary. And where did you say we'll get the car? It's his car. He's getting an allowance.
It's not a vehicle car. It's a It's a commission activity report which will identify the issue, a background of the issue, and the reasoning behind any of the staff recommendations. Okay. All right. And discussion approval of
updated letter of engagement for city attorney. Oh, yes. This is a proposal to amend the 2018 engagement letter the city has with my firm. It does two things. It increases the hourly rates um for partners from $250 to $300 an hour.
And it would name me as the primary city attorney with Kevin and Rob Jackson as um my backup. Do you Amy, do you remember what we started out at? 250 was the rate in 2018.
2018 was 250. All right. Any other questions on that? So, one of the things I've been looking at is not just this one, but all the other service contracts. How often do we look at them?
Are they just open-ended or do we look at it and put it out for bid or RFQ every so many years? So like for instance the engineering firms, when was the last time I remember you told me the engineering firms have been in place since 2015.
2015. So it's been there for 10 years. So should we look at these service contracts as every so many years we should come back to us determine whether we want to renew it or put it out for RFQ or RFP or put it out for bid. Yeah, that'd be a great thing that
either a clerk or a procurement person could do for us, right? I think that's that could be good. Um, now with hand with with your firm, I believe you all did go I think they did go out as a RFQ and came back
Oh god. It was before I It was before we got elected the first time. So I know we were in the trailers when that happened. So it was after Michael cuz Jeff Carter was city attorney and then I think you all were hired after were hired after him. Jeff. Yes.
That was probably 2020 2019 somewhere around there. I started in September of 2020 and Jeff Carter was still acting at the time. Okay. But it was shortly somewhere after that that the RFQ was done for the attorneys.
No, no problem. I'm just to Commissioner War's point like how long how many years should we go before we actually review that again? So um so at this point it's been five years with your firm. So is that something we want to do every 5 years? And for auditors it's generally 3 to
five is what the statute contemplates. For architects and engineers, it's usually seven. Um, per for professional services like the attorney, it's completely discretionary. There's no state law that says what that turnaround or periodic review period is. It's absolutely up to you.
Okay. Which leads me another question, but I want to ask it after we're we're done here. All right. So, I think every five years sounds like a good medium number um to review those. So,
I mean, I think it's a good idea because if you keep it open-ended, it just uh puts the vendor kind of on laxed, you know what I mean? So, and it creates competition. Is that something that uh you want us to
start doing this year um for those that we've maybe had more than three years to start reviewing those this year or more than five years? Start bringing those service contracts back for review. Um, yeah, I would like to start looking at
it. Um, I don't know if there's some service contracts that are like soul I guess soul sort. Is there any examples where it would be a bad idea to do it every 5 years? Nothing comes to mind right off hand. I
mean, whenever you change a provider for anything, you know, there is a a a gap or a learning curve bringing a new vendor in. If a new vendor is selected, um we could do bring a list of all of our current service contracts that the
commission has approved that are active to you all and then you can go through them and decide to renew to readvertise or I mean is there a disadvantage where if they have a certain rate and once you renew it, you're going to lose that rate
and it wouldn't be worth do you know what I'm saying? Most certainly if you renew a contract it's going to go up. I mean, very seldom do do they ever go down. Um, so it is very likely if you advertise any of our contracts that the prices are going to increase. Yep. Yep.
All right. Well, I guess that's what I'm I'm trying to find out is if if that is a good idea to do every 5 years for the service contracts, all the service contracts or only certain ones or or what. And we may review it and not necessarily advertise it. we may review it and say,
"Hey, we're good with this." And just that's true. You know, because it may depend on what does the service look like that we've received in those 5 years. So, if we have the contract and hey, we haven't been very pleased with the service over that period of time, then we
probably would be in the best interest to maybe revertise. But if we're pleased with it, then we don't have to renew it. We just say, "All right." Yeah. Okay. May I add just a a small bit of information here? The finance department in itself has two service contracts, one
with banking and one with audit. Both of those agreements have were signed with a certain amount of years with an option to extend a certain amount of years. So that's typically how our our service
contracts work. Got it. And I don't know if this is the proper time to ask or not. Um, I remember being a big part of this whole thing when we had uh an outfit from Santa Rosa come
over and and and your firm. Um, is it is it accurate to say that your firm still represents all of the municipalities in Bay County?
No, we do not represent We do not represent Panama City Beach and we do not represent uh Panama City. Okay. We don't represent Mexico Beach. Okay. We don't represent Parker. So, so it's just us in Callaway Springfield.
In Springfield. Okay. Thanks. I don't see a negative to just reviewing. I think it's always good to review, but like the mayor said, doesn't mean we have to decide to put out an RFQ or anything like that,
but it is the more data we have, the better. Right. So, yeah. Um, Mr. Lightfoot, if you could provide that for us, the list of current contracts we have for services. Yeah. and then I guess provide the data
on how long we've been in contract with them or we've been receiving their services like when was the start date of that particular contract. So to give us an idea of if it's in the time frame for us to review. Okay. Would you like that as another item on the agenda or just do it under the city
manager report or um I guess just share it with us for the meantime. Okay. Then that way it gives us time to review it and see from there. I guess if you can I guess it' be part of the city manager report and then
then we'll get you a packet and then you can review between next meeting and in the first meeting in September to make a decision, right? Okay. Yes, sir. And I guess, and I'm sure you'll do this, but also notating like what um Miss Roman mentioned, if there are particular contracts that have
exper, you know, actual term limit on it, like, you know, we're in contract with you until this particular time um versus those that are open-ended. So, yes, sir. Okay. Perfect. Anything else for further discussion
before we move on? I mean before we conclude and go into budget. So one thing I wanted to bring up and this is why I bring up the service contracts was the audit agency that we have. Um I'd brought this up before.
Um and um I'm of the opinion that the audit agency should change every 5 years. and anything you read online that is a recommendation that you should periodically change them because it keeps the integrity of it. Um there's a lot of advantages to it. So I looked I I
got the contracts for James Moore, right? And I was like, I not remember voting on this and it was back in April 2024 and it was a letter of engagement and uh
it was renewed. So, aren't those required to come to the commission cuz I I looked I looked online. I looked at the agendas. I couldn't find it anywhere. I looked through my emails. I couldn't find it anywhere. I thought maybe I missed something. So, we renewed them for how long? So
this one was April 2024. So it takes us out till September 2028. Well be the fiscal year. So I guess it would be 2029 if I read this right. So it' be five years.
But my thing is we've already had them for 5 years. Why didn't we're supposed to put it out to bid for every five years? Well, either that or we decide to extend it if we wanted to keep them. Well, when we brought them in, that's that that's that was the consensus of the commission
at that time. I remember us if you if you you got to go back to when they came in and I know it was suggested and spoke about amongst the commission at that we were going to we were going to look at changing them every 5 years cuz the previous one before these guys was there forever.
Yeah. CRI. Yeah. Yeah. I remember that. Or rigs and Ingram. Yep. So I guess my question is way I read the procurement policy this should have came to the commission. I don't know why it didn't. And if that's
the case that's the case I um would this make this null and void or do we have to abide by this contract? Now I think you're I think I don't know that it makes it null and void. I think you
can without looking at your contract and knowing what your rights are. I don't know if you have the right to terminate it immediately and enough time to go out to bid to get a new one. You do serve as the audit committee. So again, you have to approve that procurement document and give yourself 30 to 60 days to get a new contract in place. Um
that's not to say you can't do that. Uh but I don't I don't know what your remedy is if you're in a position to terminate this now that you've already approved it or not. Right. You should you should have a termination clause. I just don't know where you are in your cycle and if that makes sense to you. Um,
see if I can find it. It says the engagement may be terminated by either party for non-compliance with the terms as noted in the engagement letter. The parties will provide 60 days notice of their intent to terminate the gaugement. Yeah. Is there a termination for convenience?
I didn't see anything in there for that. All right. Well, I'll I don't have a copy of that contract, but I'm happy to review it and Okay. form an opinion on what your remedies are. Appreciate it. Thank you. All right. Anything else? Uh, I got a couple of things.
Um, he um y'all should have seen an email from Michael Montgomery. Michael Montgomery has been he's been emailing us about Mil Bayou, about storm water issue out there and and school
traffic as well. Well, I happened to meet with him yesterday and it was around 2:15 2:30. So, we tooured what what he's um what he's pointed out as the the problem. And I and it was raining so I got to see water flowing
off out of this retention in onto the sidewalk onto the road and uh we talked about the remedies but and what what it would be. I assured him he has a meeting with Chris, our city manager, uh on Tuesday morning. Um and I know we're
working on the problem, but he's he's he's a um he he's in this type of work, I think, um like he does he he does some kind of work where he does big construction projects and stuff, but he's he's good to talk to and he'll fill
you in on the whole area. Um, it was worth taking a drive out there to that culde-sac behind the school where they just brought m just to see where they're bringing men's branch road in, you know, and and and to see what it to see what's set up out there. Um, and you get a view
of the apartment homes off in the in the neighborhood and you could look down and I saw the traffic forming and it was it was kind of a nightmare to wait to see the cars line up and and I I drove out Men's Bank Road because I didn't want to go back through the B the the North Bay
Haven traffic and when I drove back I looked and there it was still jammed up, you know. So, that's an issue. um the but the the storm water is an issue and I think he's he's somebody that you know needed to be heard. I reached out and I met him and in the email he sent out I
think last night or today he's encourage he's he's encouraging everybody to get out there and see him. So if y'all can arrange it that'd be great. So this is what I'll say is if I understand because I know I've been in contact with you about it. You had already been in contact with him for the storm water
stuff right? He knows the solution. And it's going to take about we figured about 3 4 months before that solution takes place. Yes, sir. When you see that road and you see how everything lines up and the fact that they have a median in that road and and they only have one lane on each
side and for the amount of people that's over there, those roads should be two lane on each side. And that median that's that nice little median in the middle. I mean it it should be it should be it should be removed and maybe try to make a divided highway there. There's
there's there so they have an open lane. I mean honestly he's you know if people if people need to get emergency services and and thank god M branch road is open so there is a back way in but it it it blocks the the entrance in into the into
the side roads. um the the school traffic does. So I just just thought that it would be insightful for you to just see it. Yeah. So I guess what I'm hearing is I know Mr. McGomery had emails whether you meet with Montgomery or not, just try to get out there and see it. Right. So but I think what I'm hearing
is two different issues. There is water issue and the school traffic, right? So and you had some quick I guess comments about the storm water issue. Well, no, I already said that we already have a solution for it. It's just going to take some time to fix. But the thing I was going to say is I have no problem
meeting with him. I just wish that he would be a little more respectful and professional with our city staff. I don't know any dealings he's had with our city staff. But you've seen all his emails. Yeah, I've seen his emails. Yeah, I've
seen his I've seen his little video, too. Right. Yeah. And I have and I and I have been out there. I've looked at it and that's when I called Chris and I I was driving around. You can, you know, people people handle things differently. You know, I I I I can talk face to face with him. I'm
not mad at him. I'm not mad at me. He's got an issue. But you're you look like you're mad right now. No, I just You're mad because he spout it off. People can let people, you know, they they got to let the steam out. You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. Right. Right. That's why I That's why I went
out and saw them, right? You know what I mean? And Oh, can I interject? Um, when that whole thing took place years ago, it was it was going to be a nightmare from the get-go because of the way they have to go in to the school,
turn around, and the poor people who live behind that school. I we had a meeting out there. It was so horrendous. Um, if anybody has a heart attack or anybody gets hit by a car, I feel sorry for them behind there because there
would be no way for emergency to get through there. And I, as I understand it, they're now starting to give tickets to those who are parked double along there where it's hard. It's hard not to be. I know it's it's two lanes as you
come in, but then once once you pass the school, it's one lane and then and they're they're backing up on both sides for drop off and pickup. And at one point I was under the impression they were talking about putting another um entry
along the left side of the school. Even if even if you uh I mean there So now Chief has been in contact with the um HOA out there. So, we did have a the president of the HOA contact us. Um, and several residents have contacted. I
directed them to uh Chief Remy and he followed up with them as well as I know uh we have a response from uh Deputy Chief Infinginger in regards to the HOA and the residents there. So, Chief and yesterday we went out myself, Deputy Chief Infinginger and one of the traffic unit supervisors and met with the
school. And so ultimately you have 2,000 students that are trying to leave that campus in a very short period of time. I did make several recommendations to them because when you look at Linhaven Elementary, they release at 2 and then you got Mosley
High School releases at 3 and then you have Mowit at 3:30. That's not happening at North Bay Haven. They're dumping them at 2:30, another 15 minutes right behind them, and then high school 15 minutes later. So, you're trying to clear that whole
campus with that small artery in such a short time. Their chief complaint was the traffic light. And so yesterday I reached out to the traffic division at the county and they agreed to add some time in the afternoons to try to clear that road you're referring to, Miss
Tender, because the parents are sitting there waiting and then again it's just it's to the point where it's a nuisance because you can't get in, you can't get out, you can't get emergency vehicle in or out. So, we did come up with recommendations to include to maybe let
the elementary students out at two to mirror the other elementary schools to give more time a shift and I was told that they're a charter school by their principal and ultimately they can't do that. So, I don't know if maybe we approach their board about that, but that's one of the
solutions that I see is if they'll release at 2:00 instead of 2:30. That'll give the middle or the the elementary kids and parents out of there. Then the middle school kids can come in and the high school SK kids can leave. We've done everything we can to make
suggestions like we have at Deer Point. We were able to rectify that problem. Mowitz better. Um but everything that we have suggested has fallen on. We can't do that. See, and that's too bad because that's a good suggestion. Yes, ma'am. 15 minutes. I mean,
that's all it takes, Miss Tender. We clear mow it in the afternoons in about 22 minutes. So that's where again whatever we can do but yesterday we did meet with the staff to try to come up with a solution and so I want to monitor
that what they did in the traffic um division with that light to try to extend it. Um but again you're dumping 2,000 kids. I repeat that in a matter of and they think from 2:30 to 3:40 is a good time but you're dumping mow it in 22 minutes
getting all their students out of there. So that's locking that entire mill by you down for an hour and in and 10 minutes. You might want to talk to the county about mow it, the light on 77 where you turn left. Um coming coming down mow it. Um
a citizen was on the phone with me yesterday. I just I just pulled back up here to meet with Jared and and and I finished my meeting at Bent Bayou and I'm on the phone with a citizen who is giving it to me about the traffic at MOA
because it was backed up on 390 and then he went through and he got caught in the congestion. Then he gets to the light at 77 and he's he he's in line and he said I he says, "Pat, I'm on the phone right now." He says, "They're only letting There you go. One, two, three, four cars
and the light changes. One, two, three, four. Turning left and the light changes. Is that for the turn signal? Yeah. Yeah. So, uh, so and possibly I don't know. I don't know what the timing is on 390, but he said he said cars were out on the road at 390 yesterday, but
we're on the phone. I said, "I bet you there's a police officer out there." He goes, "One's pulling up right now." So, and he doesn't look happy. So, well, we're there every afternoon. I know. the Chris can maybe reach out to them. I know the lights on 77, they just
reync them. Yep. So, it's not just a matter of pushing a button and saying add 9 seconds here. They have to sync that entire corridor. So, yeah, it's a little tougher, but they probably they probably need to let let them out, you know, at that time because
what they do on that side affects people coming in on 390. We'll pass that on to the county. All right. Thank you. any other pertinent matters that need to be brought before us? Um, I had just one last thing. Um, as you guys know, uh, during the last year
appropriations, we had three things that passed, the state house and the state senate. Um, out of the three, two of them were vetoed by the governor's office, and we got the um the fire truck appropriation. Um, and this is the part I don't know if
you guys are aware of or not, but I had a few people come to me and I actually confirm this. This is actually true. The governor's office, the reason they vetoed them, and we were the only city out of all the cities in Florida that they vetoed because they lost trust and
faith in the city of Linhaven. And there's a reason why I'm bringing this up. Um, even the fire truck, I heard the fire truck, we weren't even supposed to get that and somehow that slid through. So, I had a sit down with Griff Griffiths. Um, I plan on having a
sit down with uh Mr. Trumbull. I'm trying to get a meeting with someone else to try to reestablish that relationship with the governor's office so that next appropriation that doesn't happen again. Cuz those other two, we had that one for the sewer plant in Southport and the other one was for
paving roads. And it would have been really nice to get those. That would have helped us out a lot. We normally get the roads every year, too. Yes. Yes. I mean, if you look at the track record on that, we were we were we were getting a million a year. Right. So, reason I bring it up, if you
got any tools in your toolbox, anybody that you know that might have a connection with the governor's office that you could have a sit down and explain, hey, this is what we're trying to do in Linhaven. Um, to try to reestablish that relationship. I think it's vitally important. Um, like I said,
I had to sit down with Griff Griffith had a really long great conversation with him. I'm hoping next week to have sit down with Mr. Trumbull, but I just want to make sure you're all aware of that that maybe maybe you got some people that you know could have
influence in what happens up there in the governor's office. All right. Anything else? All right. will take uh how long will it take you to set up? Um and we have 5 minutes. Okay, cool. We'll be back at let's say
9:15. Thank you. Part: 2
workshop to order. 917 a.m. Inram city manager, any opening remarks? No, sir. Just um we hope that this one goes a little drier than the last time and um we're able to get through the
entire budget workshop. Um, Kiki is going to kind of start over and just give a brief rundown um catch everyone up of where we were and then we can dive back into uh specific departments or if there's any questions that you all have uh from previous that we've already gone over, we'll be glad to start there. Um,
just wherever the commission desires. Okay. Um, so we can I guess open with any particular questions and turn to Miss Roman to take us through. of course asking questions along the way, you know, if needed. Um and then we will
receive questions from the um public at the end. So, all right. Any questions for city commissioners? Is there a specific way you'd like to do it to make it easier for you? Thank you for asking. I would like to
give you the 30,000 foot view first and then I'm going to share with you the actual Excel document that produces what you have in front of you in paper. This has been uploaded onto the website or the audience. If you don't have one in
your hand, you can get this off the website right now. Uh it was changed yesterday. So, um, we were working until lunchtime yesterday trying to, um, reduce the numbers. Uh, and I'll try and refresh my
memory of what happened yesterday. Um, but from the 30,000 ft view, this is a working document. We're here to hear your um, vision for the city and how we can support that vision through the
budgeting process. This document is not something that I would submit to anyone. It's a working document. It is not in balance. It is out of balance in the general fund by $3.2 million.
So, we have additional expenses that we need to recognize and discuss here today. It does include a 4.5 millage rate that you did um approve at the meeting last month.
It does not include all the state revenues. They I checked again a couple of hours ago. They're still not posted on the state website. So, there is the chance that there will be additional revenues that we don't know about today.
That's a good thing. Um, we have some things that we can change that we're able to change and I'll try and point those out to you as we go along. But Harold, if you would go ahead and put my screen up, please. the those
numbers you normally get for revenues. Normally that's in July, isn't it? No, sir. They um in fact I can show you here in just a moment. Um they tell me that they're going to come in August and last year they came in late August. Okay.
It's um all the all the analysts at the state level who are sorry Ah, there it is. Um, so for uh again the revenues could be another
two weeks from the state. So I have mirrored what we used in 25. I fully expect those revenue numbers to go up. I cannot predict how much. I figured I I always try and give you the most
conservative estimates that I can. I believe that's my uh responsibility as your finance director to um give you the most conservative numbers for the audience's benefits. I know the commissions have seen this Excel document before, but for those in the
audience who do not know, this paper document that we produce uh is developed in an Excel spreadsheet. I refer to this particular part of the
Excel spreadsheet quite often. It gives us exactly where uh where the budget is going to land. I'm going to move that over a little bit so you can see it better on that screen. You will see there that the general fund
has total revenues in this document that you have 22,299,000. It has expenditures of $25,579,000. The difference is $3,280,000. Again, this is not a document I could present to the state. This is just for
us to discuss and if you want to make changes today, I can do it in real time and tell you what the um differences would be, what the impact would be. Now, of that 3,280,
200, sorry, 2,769,000 is the bond debt that we spoke about the last time we were here. So we discussed bond debt is going to have to come out of general fund
over and above the bond debt. We have a deficit of $510,000. In normal circumstance, I would say let's roll with it. We have enough in reserves to
um handle $3.2 million. I don't believe it's possible for us to find enough savings to cover the 2.7. So I will give you some
options or to things to consider as we discuss today. The other thing to keep in mind um again trying to move it on the screen so you can see it better. Do you see the box that says proposed millillage 4.5?
I have the taxable value there for all the properties inside city of Linhaven uh limits. I can tell you right now what that millillage would need to be if we were
going to cover the bond payment and that $510,000. So, if you give me just a moment, I'm going to demonstrate that for you. So, if we wanted this budget to balance to zero,
we would have to raise the millillage to 6.45. Now legally we cannot do that because we capped it at 4.5. But I give you that number to keep in mind with the debt service payment, the $2.8
million which we will have to take out of general fund until funds come in from FEMA each year would be closer to this number. Do you have questions about what I've
demonstrated here? All right. So, I've put it back at 4.5 and we're at a deficit of 3 million2. The budget document, the paper document that you have. I've also described to you that it's going to be changing. Yes, sir. Do have one question. Um, if the
miller's rate is lowered, then what would that look like in regards to the deficit? I think previous years we've had like 4 05 is what we've done previously or four, you know. Let's try it. 4.05
ends up with 4,35,000. So that's why I'm telling you I can I can run numbers for you. If you want to model something, you just let me know what you would like me to model and I can change these numbers. Thank you. Certainly. The paper document that you have in
front of you as I've described is going to evolve. We are trying to win the award from the GFOA for excellence in budgeting. We'll be adding information. We'll be modifying information. The goal is to present you with a document that
you can use in your planning and in your vision for the future for the city. The first the first page is a new addition. We have never had an ORC chart in the budget before. I fully expect that this ORC chart will modify over
time, but this is what I was given this week. The second page has population trends and it compares the city of Linhaven's population to Florida's population. The third page, you have heard me say
before repeatedly, this is my favorite page of the budget because it gives you a um summary of all of the funds and it's a fast and easy way to pick out large numbers.
the first green column in this uh right hand side of the page, you will see at the bottom it tells you that this budget has $62 million worth of expenditures in it. Again, we're short $3 million in
revenues and we'll work that out as our discussion goes along. But the document you have in your hand is a $62 million budget. The next few pages are the revenues
and each of the revenues I give you what happened um as of June 30th and what we're proposing the revenues will be for fiscal 26. And again, this is out of balance. There's $ 58 million compared
to the 62 on the other page. Legally speaking, when I present this to you in September, those numbers have to match. Okay, that's the statute. Those numbers have to match. The next pages are the position sheets.
We discussed this briefly the other day. The um methodology has changed a bit. We're going to full-time equivalents and citywide we are adding three positions. It's uh if you'd like me to go through them, I can. that we're adding here and taking away here and modifying and
changing and some job descriptions are changing but the end end result is we're adding three positions. Kiki um on the adding three positions do you have any idea what that dollar volume is a year?
not for the three positions specifically, but I can tell you what the difference between the two um two years of personnel expenses are. Yes, just give me a moment, please. Um,
so the difference of personnel costs between fiscal 25 and fiscal 26 is $730,000. What I should mention is there is a 3% cola included in this budget. They had originally started with 4%.
We made the determination to reduce it to 3% given how I started this discussion. This 730 is that including benefits and all or is that just salary? No, it's benefits, taxes, everything.
The entire payroll will cost $730,000 more than fiscal 25. And mayor, two of those three positions we're adding, two of those are in the water department. So it's not a general fund. That's an enterprise fund that's affecting two of those. Got it.
Can I Can I say something uh real quick? And I just, you know, you're you're throwing numbers out and saying that we're 3.2 in in debt and that includes the the then you just showed the total expenditures for the city. And I'm from
a different I mean I'm not a I'm not a I'm not a city finance guy, but when I'm faced with a number and I know we need to spend less, you know, I I take that I I find that I find the number that we need to spend
and we we we do what's called a declining budget. We only spend, you know, instead of 62 instead of 62 million, we need to cut 5% off that number. Okay? 5% off of 62 million covers $3 million.
So the our work is is in this budget. Do we have to spend every dollar of this $62 million? I mean, we're tasked, can we find a 5% decrease in these expenditures? I know there's fixed cost.
I know that, but there's variable cost. So, and and and I know that I know labor's labor we're and it goes up and I understand that uh you know I I understand the challenges. Let's just say that. But that's our that that that's what we got to look at right
here. I mean, when you're when you're looking at whole numbers and where we got to go our we've got to dig in and find $3 million in these expenditures, I guess. Plus, if we get if we get extra revenue, that's a plus, right?
Yes. That's awesome. But but and I can't predict how much more there will be, right? And you're we're and we're always doing we do mid-year budget changes. I know you do, you know, things happen along the way, but we but we we we got to we got to look at this. We need to
tighten our belts by 5% of this total expenditure number to cover what's what you know where where our deficit is. So I guess one of the questions would be I guess understanding as we're going through whether primary deficit is for
example like uh Mr. Lightoot just mentioned two of the positions are covered by enterprise funds which wouldn't necessarily have an impact on our millage rate or um on our general fund because that would be covered by you know our rates and such that that deal with the enterprise fund. Well, as
is the case with your personal or business budgets, you also have to set priorities. So, one of the additional staff members is that procurement manager. I would highly suggest we keep that position.
Um, that will be an additional cost for the city, but I think the benefit to it outweighs any monetary consideration today. the long term, it's going to be u the right move for the city. We we need to improve where we need to
improve. We need to look at things, but we need to we need to, you know, just like the governor does, we need we might need to mark some stuff off or we don't need that right now, you know. So, we got to find we got to find what's what,
you know, whether it's whether it's adding a position and we don't add the position or whether it's you know, it it doesn't have to be in labor. It has to be in in in in expenditure somewhere. And I've got a couple of things to highlight for you um as we get through.
I don't I don't have $500,000. I would suggest that we don't aim for the 3 million. I would suggest that we aim for the 500,000. The 3 million is the bond debt. That's what it is.
If I'm understanding the 3.2 two million that includes the two plus million of the bond debt. So really we're right really we're looking at a little over a million then that I would suggest we try and find 500,000. Kiki, can you go back to that?
I understand the 500. I guess I'm what I'm trying to clarify is that of the 3.2 million two plus million of that is actually the bond that which we have to pay. Correct. So we can't cut that out. Correct. But we have the general fund to
cover that. However, we are looking at although you're suggesting 500,000, I'm trying to get clarity for us that we're really looking at about a million dollars in budget cuts. Um if we're trying to get to a particular number as Commissioner Per was stating as opposed to cutting out the which we could cut
out the whole 3.2 million um that would be you know other cuts, but of that 3.2 is actually two plus million as part of the bond which we're dedicated to pay. And then really the variables within that 3.2 million is a little over a
million dollars. And you're suggesting that we look at around 500,000 that we're trying to cut back on. We got to shrink this. But so you'll remember that I I referenced the audit number on page 14 at the bottom of page 14. That's the unassigned
fund balance. So the 2.8 8 million in debt service is after everything shakes out will reduce that number in the in the audit by the 2.8. Is that clear?
Okay. All right. So the next sheets we talked about the position sheets then the next sheet is um the grants we will be receiving. I am forecasting I should say uh $9.5 million in revenue. Now these
are budget neutral. That means we'll have a uh revenue and a corresponding expenditure. So while these look like things that are large ticket items that we could remove, it doesn't change the number in any way
because you've got money coming in equal to the money going out. So, you know, big big ticket items are um easy to look at and say, "Well, let's just not do that." But then you if you choose something from this list, you're
not um doing anything to you're not doing anything to alleviate the half million dollars I'm looking for. Um in your paper document, pages 15 and 16, these are the capital expenditures.
Again, many of these are funded by grants. Uh we can look at some of these things, but most of the big ticket items are coming in from grant money. So, um we can like for instance,
um the fire department, you have the uh $950,000 for uh refitting station one or enhancing station one, I should say. If you decide to take that out, it doesn't help at all because there's no revenue,
there's no expenditures. So, while that's a large number, oh, let's just not do that. It doesn't help with the deficit. Either way, either way, it's a zero sum game. Yes. Right. Right. But if the state revenues come in
and they're a half million dollars more, that that does help. Absolutely. Yes, sir. So we're and in general from year to year do they what do they increase by or decrease by
certain amounts? Is it does it fluctuate based on the economy? Right. So better the economy, more money coming in and we've had a good economy this year. Yes, we have. So I fully expect that the state revenues will increase but I'm not going
to know for another couple of weeks. All right. Then we get to the um chart of general fund. This gives you historical data. Again, the blue bars are actual um historical numbers. The white bars are budgets.
And you'll see that um the general fund is going up and primarily because of the $2.8 8 million in debt service. The next page, as we discussed before, I'm not sure how much time you want to
spend on this, that's um this body, the legislative 511 going up uh $5,700. And that's primarily you receive the cola just as the rest of the employees do. The executive budget is adding one
position It's just moving the assistant city manager out of the HR department and placing it into the executive and that along with a few other things. We've got some increase to the legal fees and I may have to move that number a little bit based what I heard on
earlier today. Um so we have a $200,000 increase to the executive budget. Again, you're adding one full-time employee and you have some increases for the legal fees. The finance department is going up
$99,000. Again, we're adding that procurement manager that I am going to caution you about cutting. Um, and if indeed you decide to do an additional audit, we
will need additional money for that audit. I'm told that the last time we did this, which was in the spring of 2020, that audit cost us $48,000.
And that was 5 years ago. So, if we're going to do an additional audit, I'm going to tell you, we're probably going to need another $60,000 in here. That's a rough estimate. Next is the planning department. We do have a modest increase here. Um,
you had made mention of the pension going up and I didn't realize that this was the the pension number you were asking about, Commissioner Oric. The reason the pension number is going up in this department is the previous employee was in the drop program, so no pension
contributions were made for her. the new employee will not be in the drop program obviously and will be contributing to the pension. So that's the reason for the increase in this particular budget. Public works as we discussed there are
four people or excuse me three people associated with public works. However, their salaries are being allocated to the enterprise fund. um debt service. This is uh page 28 of the paper document. That's $155,000.
It's for a portion of one bond. One bond is split three separate ways from general fund, the water and the sewer department. This predates me by a decade or so. Um I I am unable to find documents on how they came up with the
percentages, but this is the percentage that we have to live by and that will continue for um until 2027. That bond will be paid off. Facilities maintenance is 518. We do
have a modest increase here that also has to do with health care. uh each of the employees selects different health care based on their own personal need. If a person is a single person, the city
pays less for their insurance than if you have a spouse and children. So depending upon the employees need that uh number will fluctuate. And in this case, I believe that we've had folks sign on who have families that
their people they were replacing did not have families. The administrative budget is 519. This is where you see the 28 million. It's at the uh two entries at the bottom
of page 32. $2,170,000. That's the principal on the 2019 bond. The next line is the interest 585,000 and then there are two more lines on page 33. One is the agency fees and one
is the insurance. Those four items are considered debt service on the 2019 bond information technology. Uh we've got a little savings here. We're moving some things around. I think that this budget may move in the future
as well. The police budget um again some changes here with overtime and uh salaries readjusting salaries. I will tell you that they are reducing
their staff by two. We're going down to 48 in the police department. We have also included uh since the last document, we did include one additional police car in uh fiscal 26 that's to be
paid from impact fees. I'm a little cautious about the impact fees and I guess now is a good time as any to discuss that impact fees are highly restrictive.
We cannot use them to pay the electric bill. They have to be associated with what they were collected for. the um combined, if memory serves, we have less than a million dollar for
police and fire. If we do spend this $75,000 for one additional police car, you'll be down to about 300,000 if memory serves. I had been instructed in the past that
that money was going to build fire station number three with a police substation in fire station number three. I am now told that the current thinking is there will not be a police substation in fire station number three.
However, the impact fees will never cover the current impact fees. What we have in the bank today will not cover fire station number three. If you decide to move on with fire station number three, that will probably be another bond that you're going to
have to come to issue. Is that the mill by you? Yes, sir. And we also um in in my report Tuesday want to talk about the possible legislative appropriation requests that are coming up um and what all the
commission desires to pursue. One of my suggestions is to submit for the design of a fire station there so we could at least have the design complete and then we could pursue additional construction funding when the time comes. But Mr. Roman is correct. We are not going to be
able to ever afford to build a fire station in cash out of impact fee money. Is there And we have the land, right? Yes, sir. We have the easement over the three acres right now. Right. You said that was Mil Bayou. Yeah. Yeah. That's um
Hill Bayou um is where we need it because response in the back so they're close response times. Yeah. Keep in mind too if if Marina Island does submit a development order, we'll need one there like they say they will they will be required to build one. We will be
required to to fill it and staff it. So there is a lot in the next few years that could potentially change in the fire department budget. So, I'm turning now to pages 40 and 41. For those who are following along in paper
on the screen, I have the total for the fire department. As you see, there's a $2.4 million increase from last year. Again, some of these are budget neutral. So, of the 900 at the at the bottom of
page, sorry, no. Um, at the top of page 41, you'll see $950,000 capital outlay building station number one funded by FDM. There's no reason in the world to take that out because that is a grant. We
will get that money. This is budget neutral. The next is capital outlay equipment replace hose and thermal imager camera for $101,000. that is not funded by a grant.
That is something you could consider. All right. Then the next item here is the legislative fire engine for $980,000. That also is funded by a grant, so it would not make any sense to remove it from the budget.
The last item is a rescue truck for $278,000. As the document you have in your hand right now, I'm using general fund money for this. If you instruct me to, we could use impact fees for that $278,000.
This was trying to address the 500 that I'm looking for. So we could use impact fees, but though then we have even less money available for fire station 3. So and my theory of thinking is we
utilize the impact fees for the rescue truck. Fire station is likely going to cost us every bit of 4 to7 million for this truck. We're we're way underfunded for So if we have the money right now and the impact fees, I say utilize it for the rescue truck. But that is the a
decision the commission commission can make today of reallocate some of that and that would help with that money we're trying to cut. I'm all about it. Uh cuz we we're we're just scratching the surface on on construction of a you know having the
money for building one. Yes, sir. And and residential construction could fall out next week. And could could we also ask for you you couldn't ask for a legislative appropriation for that as well? Could the rescue truck? Yeah, we could it would delay it another year and we have had a lot of mechanical
issues with that rescue truck. It has completely died in the middle of a call in the intersection. So, it is a wise decision to move forward to replace it. Yes, I think we should move forward in replacing that with the impact fees.
Did you want to hear from the fire chief on any of this? Um, we would like to hear from the fire chief in regards to the holes in thermal imagery camera. [Music] Mr. Mayor, Commissioner, Fire Chief Mark Johnson. Any questions you have, sir, on
the hose and thermal imager? Questions from commission? Tell us why you need it, sir. Every year you have to have to hose tested. Some of our hose is now starting to fail. Um we need to start replacing
those items that are over five, six, seven years old. It not been touched. We've been keeping them up to date as long as we can. We're at the point now with the hose. We need to replace it on one of the engines. Second one is your thermal imagery cameras. They're just outdated. Those items are what we use on
a daily basis if we have a fire to go in and find people during search and rescue. Without those items, we are in the blind in a zero visibility house with um smoke. So, they are showing us where they are and heat sources. We also
use those thermal imaging cameras if there's an electrical issue in your house to show us hot spots within the walls. The items that we have now are just extremely outdated. That's why we're asking for the money to buy the new ones and replace old items that have not been addressed for a very, very long
time. How long do those last for? Thermal imagers. Both the thermal imager and the hose tester. I could probably get 7 to 10 years out of some of those items. You know, the hose is just depends on how much we use it, how much pressure we put on it. You
know, it can break. I mean, a new hose could come in and break. You know, it's one of those things. The thermal imagers, um, we can get at least five years out of those. So, a lot of the ticket items within the fire department, yes, I understand every time I talk to you are expensive, but we're buying
stuff that we has not been replaced in a very, very long time. But we're also using those items as we buy them, and they're going to be with us for a very, very long time. How long, how old are these now? I believe they're about seven years old, sir. Okay. And do you test them regularly?
The thermal imagers? Yes. Yes, ma'am. All our all our equipment is tested. Um, so they all still work? They uh work, but we're down to a couple that have just not they're not working anymore. They've just died. A couple that don't work at all?
Yep. And if you want accurate numbers on those items, Miss Tender, I can actually get those for you today. No, I'm fine. Those are life safety items that we keep on the trucks on a daily basis because as you know in the fire service you never know what call is
going to come in at any time. Any additional questions? That's the $101,000, right? Yes, sir. Could that be impact feed as well? No. Okay. It's wise money
to save lives. Amy, we couldn't classify that as equipment for the impact fees because it is no theos the hoses and therm I believe if you read the state statute
any equipment that is associated with a emergency response fire engine would classify for impact fee purchase but you would have to I don't believe we've got enough money yes in the impact yes we can look at that before the
budget is approved let you know if we could fund the entire rescue truck and the imager hoses out of that or what the you know if we can fund a portion of it out impact fees and then the rest to kind of offset that we can get an answer on that. That's a good I mean that's just a
shot in the dark but right I know for sure we can u fund the rescue truck. Is there any help from CRA for this since station one is in the CRA? I suspect not unless your CRA plan
expressly provides for public safety expenditures with CRA money. Well, we have helped with the police department which is public safety from CRA. In what way? The the speed the speed different ways radar signs or the tag readers. All those tag readers we have all over
town. They paid for that. There has some been discussion with the CRA um advisory committee about the tag readers. Mr. Jenkee, are you available? Morning. Yes. If you recall, uh we advised against
paying for the tag readers with CRA money. But now I thought that was brought to us by the CRA to help pay for the tag readers. Sir, it was recommended by the police department. and it was discussed at the CRA advisory board and they explicitly
um pointed out that they are not in favor of using CRA money for paying for the tag readers. And every year we we talk about the new project uh list for the CRA. The advisory board points out that they do not recommend using CRA
dollars for paying for the tag readers. Bottom line is I can or the CRA can spend money on items that are listed or projects that are listed in the CRA plan.
And the CRA plan right off the top of my my head is um is not really focusing on any police emergency response equipment.
It's focusing on sidewalks, on storm water, those categories. All right. So, RA plan is is that a is that a book a guide to go by or is that something? Okay. Yes. And in the budget, when you look at
the project list that um I'm recommending to the CRA board for approval, each project item, each um um incentive, there's like a page number attached to this project where you can
look it up in the CRA plan where this relates to where where you can find the connection to. So, Ben, uh, you know that CRA did not pay for any of the tag readers. Oh, they do. You remember? Does anybody remember who they did?
They did. They did. We did pay for the tag. I thought we They paid for the We're leasing them, right? We're not We're not buying them, right? How many do we own? We only I don't know. That's not yours. I think I think it's about four or five tag readers and it's a total of $12,500
in the CRA budget uh to pay for the lease. Yeah, we're leasing them. One more, please. But there has to be a lot more than four. No, I think there's only four. Four. I know of three right off the bat. Chief Ramo, would you like to respond to
those questions? Yes. I thought other it is $12,500 currently in the CRA that we have budgeted for the tag. He's paying for four of the five. And I think if you'll Chris may be able to speak on this. The CRA, it was just
mentioned to me, Panama City does the same exact thing. This is protecting the CRA from every violent person that may be traveling inside of there and into this city. It send us sends us a notification within seconds. So that was the guise of the CRA paying for them.
And if I think if you'll reach out to Panama City and Panama City Beach, they're paid for out of the CRA. Got it. So for clarity, so I won't be confused, initially we did approve for the CRA to pay for the tag readers.
100%. Okay, got it. And there are only five. Yes, ma'am. There's four in the CRA and we have an additional one on 389 because it's outside of the CRA. So where you're coming out of College Point, it's right
there by the that bridge when you're coming into the city, it catches the other main artery coming into our city. Okay. And the the one in the circle those the down by the country club, the country club actually pays their own.
They pay for their own the country. The HOA pays for two incoming and outgoing. Yes, that we're connected to. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. All right. So, again, um our opportunity
here is to use impact fees for um the rescue truck and perhaps the hose and thermal imagers. I will do the research on exactly how much money is available and let you know if we're
going to make an adjustment there. So, we have the potential of taking that 510 down by 378. We have a long ways to go. Code code enforcement like eating an elephant one bite at a
time. Ben told me that a long time ago. code enforcement will keep the same two employees. There's a a modest reduction here. Again, that has to do with health care and how those employees are choosing their health care.
Protective inspections is the name that the state gives for the department that we basically refer to as building, which is 524. you um uh the city has um hired
a new uh planning person who will be taking over the building department as well. So that's why you see a reduction in salary here. Can I interrupt Kiki? I'm sorry. Go ahead. Back here for code
enforcement. I want to make sure I'm interpreting this correctly. Um, the amount went up 549%. 549%. In overtime for the general employee.
It's It's because it started with a very tiny number. So, it was at $38 and it's gone to 2,000. So, sometimes those percentages can be a little misleading. Is that is that a category where it would behoove us to have a
regular another regular employee? It's only $2,000. You couldn't buy another regular employee for $2,000. Gotcha. Yeah. Yeah. Gotcha. Thank you. Yeah.
Okay. Any other questions about code enforcement? Um again the building department we are recognizing a savings there of about $75,000 human resources. Uh now we do have some changes here that I expressed to you uh
last time we met we will end up at three full-time equivalents in this department. um the assistant city manager has been removed and placed into executive and that's why you actually see a reduction in personnel costs of
$62,000. It's you know you're adding one person and taking one person away. There is u an increase for professional services other you'll see an increase of $97,000. That's money for the executive recruiter
to hire a city manager and the rate study that you have been discussing with the assistant city manager. So overall, you have an increase to the HR budget of $40,000. Question. So
you mentioned that the assistant city manager was moved to the executive, but that only gave us a difference of $62,000. So what but we're adding one person that's not her salary. You've removed her salary
and you've added another person's salary. It's the net between the two. The other thing that I will mention is um we discussed the insurance the liability insurance earlier. Um, the assistant city manager and I are trying to get together with the insurance
broker so that I have a way to identify how much of this can be charged off to the enterprise funds. Thus far, we are have been unable to schedule a meeting with him. I'm doing everything I can to make sure that that happens before I bring this to you at the next uh
meeting, but we may have to run with it the way it is. um at this budget approval stay and then I may be able to correct it at midyear after the holidays
if I don't get enough information from the broker before now and when we have to submit this to the state. Do we still have the same insurance company that we did um two city managers ago? No, ma'am. Um we're with PRM now.
Okay, thank you. All right, we did discuss the Bayou Preserve. Uh we are holding steady at one and a half full-time equivalents there. Uh we discussed that this is a
grant. There's really no reason to spend time discussing any cuts here. These are this is all grant funded but the grant will run out um and then we will have to address this as a city. It will be an
increase to the city's budget in the long term. And can you remind us what year that grant runs out? Um I think 31. Does that sound right? 31 or or if we spend more than um
or before it's it's 10.5 million, right? or 10 million 3.5 million or 10 years. Okay. 10 years. All right. Um department 539 previously titled
customer service. We're reverting back to a previous title for this utility billing. That is what the function of this department is. They do the billing for your water and your sewer and your sanitation. They do not get involved
with storm water. As you are fully aware that is build on the property taxes. Uh we do have a modest savings here and that has to do with um the building itself. Last fiscal year there was m money
budgeted in this department to do some renovations. We still have $30,000. Um we have some bathroom renovations that need to be done. We did some flooring this year. We painted the
exterior of the building. Uh but we didn't use all the money in fiscal 25 and we're including $30,000 in next year's budget. Still, there is a budget savings of $56,000 for utility bill.
Streets is 541. Now, this is changing. Well, you see that the positions are remaining stable at 7. You also see that there's a large increase in the salaries. The
methodology is changing here. Mr. Lightoot tells me that if you talk to the um people who are listed as street workers, they would not be able to tell you if they're working for the streets department or the storm water
department. that they spend their time 5050 doing both tasks. So what this budget does is it takes all of the employees who are registered in the streets department and all of the employees that are registered in the
storm water department and splits their salary 50/50. Again, I'm trying to give you more accurate numbers on what it takes to run the utilities. So the increase here of $300,000
is not actual increase to citywide because there will be a corresponding reduction in the storm water department. Right. So was it last year that we took the I guess directors from the the director
for storm water and actually put them in the stormwater budget. Was that last year? Also correct. Yeah. I was it last year or two years ago? I can't I might have been two years. And so there's there's four three or three employees who are split equally between
the four utilities. They were originally captured in 516 general fund. We removed their dollars from the general fund and charged the utilities for their salaries. Again, my whole goal
here is to be able to tell you what does it really cost to run those utilities. Okay. All right. And even so, with an increase of $300,000 in the streets department, let me get this up on the screen for the audience.
We do have a budget savings here of $874,000 primarily attributable to the legislative paving. So not necessarily a savings, it's a reduction because we
don't have paving money this year. So yes, we've reduced the budget, but we've also reduced the revenue. See that? All right. Next is the fleet maintenance department.
Their budget is going up by $67,000. And this has to do uh primarily with fuel pumps and a bridge crane for $45,000 and an awning for the building of $20,000.
Um that is something that Mr. Lightfoot can discuss if you have questions. How they handle Do they handle the police cars as well? Yes, sir. And and and all the trucks, utility trucks, everything. The fleet department works on every vehicle and piece of equipment we have unless it has to go out to a
specialized mechanic, right? Like hydraulics and stuff like that. We do a lot of hydraulics in house really. Um but if it's something special that we don't have, it goes out to a hydraulic shop. We got some we got some pretty good good
folks that work on that stuff. And we have two in the fleet department. That is something that we would like to bring to the commission. It won't happen this year, of course. Uh but in the future, our fleet has grown significantly over the past few years. Yeah, it has. And our our fleet employees have not.
So, we have increased their workload significantly, but not increased the help that they have in the shop. Um the bridge crane and the fuel pumps. The fuel pumps are very outdated. We replaced one at midyear and we've got three more that need replacing. And then
we had um the money in we we requested for the bridge grain is to help in the shop lift things uh safely and ensure that they can work on the bigger trucks like the garbage trucks and the fire trucks. Where's their shop? Minnesota Illinois area there. It's at public at public works 1308
Illinois Avenue. Yes, sir. It's in one of the corners. They have basically half of the building. They have two two overhead doors there. Yeah. Yeah. Two bays. Them boys need lunch for them. They probably don't get to go out for lunch, do they?
They don't miss a meal, but they do squeeze it in. Which fund Which fund does fleet come out of? General. General. Yes, sir. I'll let everything that we're discussing so far is general fund. I'll let you know when we're done with that. That's a lot of work. Those guys need
recognition. They, you know, they're they're keeping all of our stuff on the road. I'd like to make a comment. It's not going to be popular. I'll tell you that right up front. It seems to me,
and Chief Remy, close your ears, but I feel like we spend an enormous amount of money every month in repair and not and not just sending it over to fleet on fleece cars and gas and uh parts and all
of that. Have we ever considered uh not having police officers drive their cars home every day, but leaving them here, saving us on gas, other than those who are on call.
I know other cities have done it where they don't take their cars home. I know we have police officers that live out of the county, so they're driving their cars home. I've been asking on a regular basis how much money we're spending on
uh repairs and things like that. I'm just bringing it up because keeps taunting my head. So, do somebody talk me out of it or I can I can talk you out of it. Okay. Go ahead, Pat. I just I just you going off what you're saying. I mean, are we smart about it? Do we
track how many miles are are spent not on duty? you know, driving back and forth to from their homes to work or anything like that. Chief Remy, come on down. And actually, I have some information on this as well. All right. From from a risk standpoint and from
insurance, there will be changes in the use of take-home vehicles, uh, this year, the insurance company will be reducing the coverage to what's called statutory caps, and we've had it higher before. They're also going to require any of the employees that have been
designated to take an emergency vehicle home to cover what's called a non um owner insurance coverage. So, they will be personally covering themselves for the commute. However, when it comes to first
responders and marked vehicles, there is strong evidence to show that the increase of marked vehicles in your community reduces crime and it does enhance public safety.
Therefore, at the state and federal level, it is encouraged to allow that practice to the point where it's not even viewed as a taxable income item. Now, nonmark vehicles are different and we will have to be doing a survey to
determine how to change that practice um going forward. anyone who has a reason for an emergency vehicle and it can include non-first responders. A good example would be public utilities
who have to respond on a regular basis to lift station alarms or to pipes that burst. If they're identified and it is approved and um documented that they need to have a vehicle because of
special tools, etc. that they go home with. Again, they'll have to cover the extra insurance and it will become a taxable um income item, a taxable benefit. So, we will be making a change. Um this has been announced through
insurance. It's been on the brink for the last two years. We've discussed it, but the insurance companies and the industry were not pushing it. They're certainly pushing it this year. that will do a savings for um both potential accidents that might
happen during the commute back and forth and in fuel costs. I I know that there's a program that's been in place for I guess many years where uh an officer who parks his car out front uh creates a
better safety like you said and they're given an allowance on their rent for parking their car out front where they live. Well, that certainly may be between um private Right. Right. situations. I mean the city. I have no problem with that because obviously it
does create a better safety u issue. But that's referred to as a courtesy officer. It's mostly with apartment complexes. So they give the officer a break on their rent for living in there. They also respond to calls for service or minor things that happen on the
property. Breaking up parties. Um, additional questions for Chief Remy regarding uh vehicle usage miles. Have you ever considered it? It's a very difficult thing to do because that car is almost like a
dispatch center. I would have the the modem that is hooked to their vehicle through the Florida Crime Information Center. Every time we swap cars, we'd have to swap that modem because that modem is assigned to that officer to run off his NCIC FCIC traffic. um it would
be a lot of downtime. Those cars uh remain running. If you try to hot seat a car, which I think you're referring to, that would the lifespan of that car would be maybe where we're getting five to six years out of it, maybe two and a half years out of them. So, it doesn't make sense. We would be the only agency
in Northwest Florida. You think about the active shooters that are taking place right now. Um all of our guys are on call. all their equipment's inside of those vehicles and they can respond to the city or anywhere in the county within minutes. Um, and that's another
purpose to have them in a take-home vehicle. I would I'm just looking at the dollar signs. I would add to that too, Commissioner Tender. Over the past few years, we've been able to purchase new police vehicles and you can see in your R&M vehicle line item, the police
department, it has decreased as new vehicles have came in. Repair repair repairs have gone down. So, not as much money has been have to be spent on repairs because of newer vehicles that have been introduced into the fleet. And do we keep track of the fuel that's used? Yes, ma'am. We have a a fuel software um
and every employee that goes in that drives a city vehicle, there's a fob in that vehicle. They scan it. They put their employee number and then it monthly does a report. Accounting does their their information for going to the right being charged to the right account. And you can track how much fuel
every vehicle uses per month and how often it has to fill up. Yeah. Before that, you guys were doing it by clipboard, writing it down and everything annually. Yes, sir. It was a clipboard. Yes, sir. But um the only thing I was going to bring up is for them to bring it home.
They have to have that insurance um that we track that to make sure that they're updating it and actually paying for it. Yeah. they they would have to pro provide proof and and that insurance typically industrywise might cost an individual $6 every six months. It's
it's very cost-effective. Um we've had some instance in the last two years our insurance company we have to um they actually want to if an accident is happens during a commute the city can
choose whether or not to take on the liability by law. Um and they have been strongly suggesting the additional insurance and then this year going forward we're going to have to require it. Commissioner Tinder, your initial
question to me was how much have we spent in R&M vehicles this year? The answer is $258,000. It's a lot of tires. All right. Um, we left off at economic development. This I touched on briefly
at our last meeting. Again, uh, Mr. Jenkee is not receiving a reduction in his salary. We are reallocating, we are charging more of his salary to the CRA this year based on the calendar that he keeps. We are increasing the economic
development budget by a million one and that again is a grant. So, this is not something that I would recommend you remove. It's for the Tennessee Avenue um improvements and that is funded by FDOT.
That's a sidewalk project, right? That we've already voted and approved and there's no sunset on that, is there? provided these funds to the city and we have to spend them this fiscal year or until September uh June 30th of 2026.
I know that's a that's a long sidewalk. It's Tennessee, isn't it? Tennessee from from 5th to 14th Street. Yes. engineering is complete and I'm working on um and that that'll be for the construction and that'll be a great straight unbroken
sidewalk for people to walk um you know and and and access to Kinsaw Park, you know, when you get down to Fifth Street. So, honestly, I honestly think that that should get utilized and talked about the citizens cuz, you know, walking on an unbroken sidewalk like that is it's a
good little walk for folks. I think this is a prime example. It's it's this sidewalk will connect a lot of existing sidewalks with each other. So, we're you're starting to see actually a sidewalk network being developed here in the city.
That was one of the dot projects that we we were awarded by the TPO that a lot of other people didn't get. We were ranked we were ranked high and and got that. So, it was a good thing. That was the TPO working for for Linhaven.
Moving on to sports and recreation. We did touch on this briefly uh at the last meeting. We h there is a reduction of $65,000 to this budget uh primarily because of the uh King Griffin parking
lot was included in the fiscal 25 budget. Clearly, we don't need any more money for that in fiscal 26. However, we are purchasing the um cover for the gym floor and I believe uh Mr. Ward discussed that with you about the
necessity uh in any potential disaster to protect that floor. Should we need that for um housing? Next is parks and wreck. And I think this I got I got a question on my sports. Sorry. Yes, sir. So just to help me kind of put
wrap my mind around it. So for So for example, it cost about $70 per sport on average for a child to play depending on their age. Does that cover does that fee cover how
much it costs to service that that uh player for example? Like how much does is the city subsidizing that at all? So for you, you saying uniforms or in what capacity are you are you saying? Just everything because you got to have
personnel to run the place. So no, not at all. $70 does not um I would suggest in upcoming u to up the fees on all sports. Okay. I feel like uh we're the cheapest county. We're the cheapest in the county right now.
Yeah. Yeah. Cuz I know some other sports places charge like 150. We did we just did that with the fee schedule. We but we didn't I was just trying to get like a how far away are we from covering sports with just fees from the people using them?
Other municipalities charge about 80 bucks. Okay. What is a Boys and Girls Club do they pay or or does that cost us? No. Um it's a partnership where we're just providing the building and they're providing the service for our residents.
All right, parks and grounds. We do have a reduction of $126,000 here. Um, since we met last, we have added a position to the parks and grounds for an administrative um
assistant. So these numbers that you have in your hand right now are actually different than the numbers that I sent you Friday night. Um and it is because of that addition of the one um position. The the reduction however of 126,000 has
to do with the R&M um buildings and grounds. We had $167,000 budgeted in fiscal 25. We're only budgeting 30,000 in fiscal 26. And what's the new position? The admin administrative assistant
to Mr. Ferris. So you're going to get a assistant parks and grounds. They parks and grounds receives a lot of phone calls and a lot of traffic on people coming in. Um there's a lot of people that call regarding parks with questions about
rentals, uh with questions about when is James Rogers Park going to be built. So Mr. Ferris is inundated a lot with a lot of phone and these positions typically most of the directors have an administrative assistant that's standard with the city and they do a lot of the paperwork
that's required and I think this was a position we had or that Mr. Ferris had in the trailers. Um I just know it was like two or three people in your office. So I'm assuming one of the I think one of those was your assistant. That's right. Um, so it was a a position that we've had that he's had
previously that I guess phased out once we came into this building. Um, but and then where does the the figure How much are we paying that assistant? That's what I'm looking for. Yes, ma'am. Give me one moment, please.
Hourly, it's a $16 an hour job. Now, is this going to be fulltime? Because I believe before it was a part-time position. Be full-time. Um, Mr. Ferris is one of the only directors that's charged with doing all his own requisitions, all his own ad admin admin work, answering the
phone. It just seemed appropriate as our parks continue to grow and be beautiful that it would be helpful to get him out and be able to actually check on projects on a regular basis and not be tied to a a desk doing
administrative work. Right. All right. Um, question. Yes, sir. I I forgive me, but is the we we were looking at doing some enhancement to Kinsol Park. Yes.
Is that in here? That's what I want to pause on parks for a second and talk about. So we discussed the last meeting or last workshop the possibilities of adding another feature at Kinsaw Park in place of the the
damaged splash pad whether it's botchi ball courts a pavilion green space rebuilding a new splash pad whatever the commission desires but we do need to do something in that place that park has a lot of traffic however there's not
anything there and there's a lot of potential as Mr. affairs presented um at the last meeting and as well as the James Rogers Park um that we discussed, you know, in the pre uh commission meeting and we'll discuss Tuesday. Do we want to pursue the FEMA dollars for that
or do we want to do it out of general fund and put the the um 428 money towards city hall? So, a couple different things we need to talk about in the parks budget. Again, don't have to make any decisions today, but definitely need them on the radar before we vote on the final budget.
I like what we planning to do. I mean, we're not finalized, but we we we got our we got our arms around what it would cost for the for the enhancements at Kinsaw. Correct. So, what what do we need to add it to this budget now?
It's not in here. It's not in there. We don't have some direction, but but it's in our sites. I mean, we want to do something over there. Yes, sir. So, it was talked about in the strategic plan. It was talked about last budget workshop. So we would like some direction from the commission. Do you
want to see something happen at you want to add it for discussion at our meeting along with along with uh James Porter Porter I mean um James Rogers James Rogers as in a an official plan at Kensolong
with different scenarios. The botchi ball the green space the the new splash pad and a and a family pavilion right pickle ball down there. Pickle ball is an option. Pickle ball is an option. Plenty of parking. I guess the question would be is there an estimate of what that would do to
increase our budget if we move forward and doing something at Kaw for this year? 200,000 is what we' anticipated time. No, that won't fly. There it goes. So, just as a refresher, this is a general fund item. I know. Yeah. If you do instruct us to go forward with
these, it's going to make that death benefit larger. Yes. I think after talking with Mr. Baker. The estimates to rebuild the splash pad were in the neighborhood of 400,000 give or take a little in order to give another option that would still
provide multigenerational site and solve our event space need. We were looking at about 250,000. So there was a a definite cost difference between the two. I have a question with that. So if you if we were to go to the option you're talking
about, would that reduce our insurance costs? cuz I I know we pay quite a bit of insurance on splash pads. I mean, I guess that'd be a Jennifer question, but the insurance would want to do an appraisal and it would be property in the uh open um which is less costly. Um
there's more risk involved with a splash pad. So, we're paying a risk level there. Um I can't predict how it would change the premium. Um, typically what happens is whatever premium we've set for the year will stay and will be adjusted the following year when they do
an appraisal of our properties. So, for example, even if we added something that was more risky or more expensive, it wouldn't necessarily change this upcoming fiscal year premium. They would catch it in the future years and
probably assess it uh at that that time. Do you have any other questions about parks and grounds? Approximately what's the yearly salary for $16 an hour? Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't look that up. I
thought that answered your question. One moment, please. Mayor Washi looks that up. Is that something we would like to add as a discussion item at Tuesday's meeting of potential Kinsol Park future um with again looking at the different
options that Mr. Ferris presented and going from there. I think we need to bring it bring it up for discussion at least bring it to the public light. You know what what the potential is if we would add
that for the uh for the agenda. appears to be roughly $40,000 worth all of the benefits and taxes included. Thank you. All right. Um, next is the marketing budget.
Um, the interim city manager has given me direction to cut a number of programs in the marketing department. We do have the a um level personnel. We're not making any additions or
subtractions, but we have recognized $108,000 in savings on this budget. And some of the things that we're discussing is uh a resident newsletter would go out quarterly and be sent
electronically with some paper documents here available for residents who want them. We've taken out the Halloween budget. We have removed money from the internal events. We have uh removed the Easter egg hunt.
And I believe there's some discussion about limiting the concerts. You have questions about the marketing budget. So with this cutting of the Halloween, is that cancelling the trunk or treat that we've done? Yes, sir.
And mayor, we've received a lot of feedback from residents where if the city does do a trunk or treat, they don't want it on Halloween. They like to funnel the kids back into their neighborhoods for trick-or-treating. And we've noticed in the past couple of
years, there is a lot of folks from outside the city of Linhaven coming that we are spending a lot of city funds on families that live in Washington County, Gulf County, um, Mountain, and nothing against those folks coming to Linhaven,
but we're spending a lot of our our time and money for that. And the Linhaven folks are trick-or-treating or attending events in their own neighborhoods. And I believe the original intent of the event was because of COVID and we were trying to give the children a way to celebrate
without exposing them during that time. And I think it also hurricane Michael um October was so they kind of funneled everyone here so it was a safe environment instead of tripping over debris and street lights out and it just kind of grew over at the time. Uh but I
think it's time that we kind of cut that back and and funnel the kids back to the neighborhoods. All right. Then the last general fund budget is the animal control and we are recognizing a $15,000 savings in animal control. Um
we don't there is an adjustment in salaries, but that has to do with benefits and whatnot. Again, different employees make different selections. Um, but again, $15,000 savings in animal control.
Did we sell that micro bus yet? It is up for sale right now. Um, on gov de active biders. Yes, sir. All right. I do believe we will get a good turnout on that one. Is and and that money is going directly to the animal control. Yes, sir.
So, we could get we we could see this decrease, right? The the we could see more money when we receive it. We'll have to do a budget resolution to add it to the budget. So, Miss Roman will bring it to you. Um, I I don't remember what the end date is on the auction, but she can bring it um as soon as it's done.
What kind of money are we looking at? We have a reserve of $5,000 on it. Um, that's a very nice buzz, people. I think we need to bid high out there. Not enough to build a library. Up your bids, folks. No, ma'am. Definitely not enough to build a library.
All right. The next page in the paper document is page 70. Again, this is going to be a little confusing. It says general fund impact fees. This is a different fund
um based on uh the county requirements. This is the money that I said that we added back the police vehicle. You see the $75,000 there. That's the money for the police vehicle in the police budget. If you instruct me to uh take the rescue
truck out of in impact fees, this number will change. We'll put the rescue truck here as well. And and what happens is when the invoice comes in, we charge it to the uh fire department so that you years from now you'll see it there, but
I'll take the money and transfer the actual cash from the impact fees account into general fund. Yes. So may I ask just for on a yearly basis what what is the what is the average
amount that the impact impact fees increases? I mean like what do we take in it? It depends on development, right? So more development impact fees, but I think I calculated that the um fire department was bringing in $80,000 a year. Is that what I
I believe that was pretty close. Um I haven't calculated you get development orders from Marina Island they'll they'll be they'll have impact fees. Correct. Yes sir. And you can look back when we were looking at this the trends like when um Andrews phase 2 and the town homes and all of those the times those
were built you could see a tremendous increase in the impact fees during that time. It's kind of leveled back out. But if and we could be embarking on an increase again basically if we if we're developing. It's hard to trend impact fees because you never know what's going to No, you don't.
All right. Next in your packet is the CRA. We touched on that briefly with Mr. Jenkee. Again, we have reallocated his um salary. So, we are charging more of his salary to the CRA than we did in the
previous year. I always say he is in the enviable position of having money to spend. He is supposed to spend his money as it comes in. So, I can tell you even though that his budget is going up $334,000,
he's got the money in the bank. There's no problem with him spending. You have questions about the CRA budget? All right. Now we get into the utilities. The water department is going up by a million one.
A lot of that has to do with well start from scratch here. You recall that I came to you with a utility increase several minutes ago and at the time I was calculating
uh how to increase the or how to set the utility rates to ensure that uh we had a zero balance over the next five years. This budget includes that increase that you approved several months ago.
So that is part of the million one. Along with that um we had a reserve in fiscal 25 budgeted of $140,000. We do not have a reserve this year.
We're going to have to take from the piggy bank from the water department. If you give me just a moment, I'll tell you what that number is. Again, when I did the analysis on the utility rates,
my direction was balance it in five years. So, in fiscal 26, we will need to take $520,000. You see that cash carry forward number there?
We will need to take $520,000 out of the piggy bank to fund the water department in fiscal 26. How much does that leave us on there? Couple million. It's fine. We'll be fine.
I have no wor I have no worries about this. So, we're on a 5year schedule of rate increases. Will rate increase help offset that for next fiscal year? Correct. over the span of five years, we should hit a zero balance. That assumes
no emergencies, right? So, should we have a failure somewhere in the system, I will have to recalculate those rates again next year. This also has money in the budget to piggyback off of the city of Panama City
Beach's tenative contract to continue moving forward with the radio read program and changing out the stuck meters. It will also help with rent loss revenue and bringing in additional water revenue for them. It should get better, not worse.
Yes, sir. You have any other questions about the water department? Next is the sewer department. The budget in the sewer department is going down $156,000. We are putting
$364,000 in the piggy bank. However, as I've told you in the past, the sewer department and the storm water department are my focus. I again same methodology when I
recommended the utility rate increases balanced over five years. I am going to keep an um close eye on the sewer department. I believe the cash balance right now is in the positive. Please look at the cash
balances for sewer. Um I've asked uh Don to help us with those cash numbers right now. Uh I do not have concerns about this budget
right now. will share any concerns that I may have in the future. I just want to keep this on your radar that if you asked me the two things that I I think about the most, it's the sewer department and the storm water department. And as has been discussed
many times, whatever we decide to do with the wastewater treatment plant, whether it's expand here on the bay or tie in with Bay County, there are going to be substantial
investments that are going to be needed to be made. I'm told that either way, if we stay where we're at or if we tie in with the county, we're still going to have to increase uh or do a rehab to the headworks
in the order of $12.5 million is the last number I heard. We're going to have to bond that or come up with an SRF loan some way, shape, or form. The last number I heard for increasing
capacity of the existing sewer department was $50 million. I don't know if that's still an accurate number or not. That is still an accurate number. Um we need to go from 2.5 to 4.5 million gallons a day. And a good rule of thumb for that number right now is $25 a
gallon. If we tie in with Bay County, I'm told there's somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 million that needs to be spent. So, you've got $50 million for the increase
plus the 12 and a half for the headworks. And we were stifled by a veto this year. So, we're still going to move forward with the rate study in the budget. We have put $75,000 in water and in sewer to fund our rate study. We have
emailed the um task order proposal to Bay County waiting on uh Bay County to review it so that we can bring to the commission a Rafellis piggyback contract off of the um the county's consultant soon as we get I'm trying to get that done before October. So October one when
the budget kicks in, right? And we were only vetoed for the rate study this year. We haven't the project hasn't been not not and you got to be crazy not to realize that we need to close a a sewer plant on the water and as soon as we have the official rate
study it will show scenario one expanding the current wastewater plant where it sits what the rates would be for our customers and and we we we time is is is not on our side the reg future regulations and
and and our capacity. No sir. And in the next few meetings, u we will hopefully be bringing to you all a decision uh for you all to make on the influent pump station and headworks at the existing wastewater plant. As per our consent order, we have to let D know what we're
going to do. We did get included in the SRF list this year. So, the commission does have the option to borrow SRF money at very low interest if that's what we decide to do. However, once we get all the the information and the packet ready, we will bring that to the commission for discussion.
We included it. That doesn't mean we're going to get it, right? No, sir. We can if the commission decides to to borrow the money, we are able to borrow the money. Yes, sir. But normally those SRF loans, I think they normally have plenty of money for those, don't they? Yeah. And there hundreds of million
dollars sitting there and we are on the list to be included in that. Yes, sir. It's not any principal forgiveness. It's all loan that would have to be paid back but at a very low interest rate. And it's it's based on our consent
order. But if we if we if we made progress on on on on the on the switch, would that would that be would that offset the consent order if we were actually decommissioning and moving so we didn't have to spend that money? Well, yes, sir. If we decommission our
wastewater plant, our consent order automatically goes away. Okay. Just something that I mean it's not going to happen overnight, but it's something that we we need to move this down the road more. Correct. This is something that the way the calendars
fall and as long as projects like this take, this is something this commission will decide to do, but unfortunately probably none of you will still be on on the commission when it's completed because the amount of years it takes to construct something like this. I'll be dead.
Done. And I would also like to uh direct your attention in the sewer budget. This is the first year in quite a few years that we've able we are able to budget for lift station rehabs. Um you know, we've brought to you two emergency lift station repairs in the past, I think,
four months. So, we do have $750,000 included in this budget to help us with lift station rehab. So lucky to get some of those done this year and be able to repair some of those high priorities. Not not push button emergencies. Correct. Actually get it done before something bad happens. Yes sir. The deal.
And do you know um the fuel depot that whole project is that costing us money? Oh man today or well in the near future if they decide to do it this year. So they will have to build all of their
infrastructure that they need. Um they will if if they have to build a lift station to pump to us or any sewer lines to get to us. I mean they have to to build all of that. Okay. That won't cost us anything. Good. So I'm told today
snapshots. Remember cash is a snapshot. This is not tomorrow's number. This is not yesterday's number. Today the sewer department has $1.2 million in the bank. That is less than the six months that I
would like to see as our cushion. However, we are functioning. We're are meeting all of our obligations. We are solvent. You've heard me say all these things before. Then halfway through the year, we're out of money. We're twothirds of the way through the
year. We do have additional revenues coming in but we will have additional expense expenditures. Again this is the one thing one of the things that I have focus on. We've just discussed all the potential
um debts in the future. I'm just trying to put it on your radar to to make sure that you're fully informed of what the potentials are with the sewer department. All right. Now, the storm water department,
we have cut $4 million from the storm water department. However, that's a little um skewed. You will see at the bottom of the page, I'll give you a page number
of page 83 in the paper document, you'll see principal 17th Street ditch in the amended 24 budget of 4 million3. You'll recall that you directed me to take those ARPA funds and pay off that note. That was done, I believe, in December of
24. That no no longer exists. It is gone. and the debt is gone from the storm water department and that was the right decision to make. So that skews the number there where you
see the dollar change from the fiscal 25 to the fiscal 26 that 2 sorry the 4.2 million that's basically the debt service. Now, the storm water department, as you are fully aware, has generally one
source of income, and that's the assessment that's on the property taxes. The lion's share of that money has been received for this year. If you're laid on the property taxes, it may come in in little bits and pieces. However, the
vast majority of the revenue has been recognized and is in the bank today. Not yesterday, not tomorrow. Today, the storm water department has $248,000 in the bank.
And we've got six weeks worth of year left. So, zero money coming in and only money going out for six weeks. I have concerns about the storm water department.
You did approve an increase on the property taxes. That will change for next year. We have a different or sorry for fiscal 26. We will have an increase in the revenue in fiscal 26, but we're starting off the
year. We may be in a deficit position at the end of fiscal 25 is what I'm trying to warn you about. You have questions about the storm water department and do we we still do we still borrow from another department? No, we don't do
that any longer. Okay. So, we're standing alone, but we're we're we're going to start with a minus number, but we're going to get it more money in next year. Yes, sir. And I would like to point out there there is no construction projects right in the budget. There are two design projects, but we do
not have the funds available to construct any of our other projects. Now if any of our What are we going to do at Mil Bay? That's R&M infrastructure money. That's not a capital outlay project. Just I know it's storm water issues. There is a you'll see the $1 million in
the R&M infrastructure. That is the majority of that is our ditch digging contract and lining Vermont Avenue from 12th 12th Street, I'm sorry, 14th Street to 11th Street. that outfall there, that large 42in pipe, it's falling in and
that has to line the majority of that. Perfect. Now, let me tie this back to the earlier conversation about the streets department and us reallocating existing staff. You will notice on the top of page 82 that we're saving $28,000
in salaries. That's because now we've taken all of those folks, whether they're in the system as a streets worker or a storm water worker, and we're dividing their salaries in half between the two departments. So, basically, we added
money to streets and we took away money from storm water. Again, my goal is to be able to tell you exactly what it costs to run these utilities. So, we're making these adjustments as we identify them. Further questions about the storm water
department. All right. Sanitation. Sanitation is the continues to be the healthiest of the um utilities. We do have a modest increase to the budget here. Uh we are going to purchase one side
loader and one knuckle boom purchase our lease purchase purchase. We weren't we leasing them? Yes sir. So we have one lease that ends October and then we have another lease that will not end until next October.
The lease it has been nice to have. However, because it is a lease vehicle, it is not the best quality as far as the way that the garbage packs in the truck, right? They keep the hydraulics turned down so that you have to go to the landfill a
little more often because they don't want the truck to wear out because they got a governor on it. Yes, sir. So, we found another deal that we are pursuing as it's a three-year. You buy the truck and in three years you're guaranteed to buy back and the amount is in the contract when you sign
it. So unless the truck So you'll get equity out of a used truck basically and you could roll it again. Yes, sir. Buddy, you may as well sell snake oil. You sold us on the lease and now you're going to tell us we need to buy one. I really like the lease. Our our finance
department does not like the lease as well. Um, but it's it's one of those things that the drivers are having hard times keeping the truck operating as efficiently as the ones we purchased just because we can't manipulate any of the the hydraulics in the filters. Right now, it's best practice. Best
practice is to own one. And it is nice to have a if an issue comes, keep the brakes off it and then trade it in and get value out of it. Yes, sir. All right. Any other questions about sanitation? You get more volume in your loads and everything if you if you own it. Is that what you're saying?
Yes, sir. So, one one own truck can do one and a half what a lease truck can do or what over over one lease, right? Okay. Just one question. I know in previous
years I recall I believe I recall you stating that sanitation was basically a more healthier um Oh, true. Okay. So still healthy for that fund. Well, true. All right. The next page in the document
is page 87. That's the enterprise impact fees. Uh what the only thing that we have identified in fiscal 26 to use is that $300,000 when when you reviewed the um the storm water assessment. Do you recall that you
were given a couple of different um options to choose from and you chose the option to transfer $300,000 a year into the storm water department? That's that $300,000 that you see there and that's the only use of funds that we've identified for fiscal 26. Everything
else is just going to go in the piggy bank. Next is disaster recovery. This is Hurricane Michael. We've talked quite extensively about this. In next year's budget, I am including $100,000 for
contractual services. That is Tetrate Tech. We are including $50,000 in expendable equipment. That's for some things that need to go into the new facilities maintenance building.
And you'll see that $315,000 number that we've talked about. That's the uh money that still today owed to Cole Pepper subject to adjustment. There are four outstanding purchase orders and we still need to negotiate the
liquidated damages. So that 315 may change. The rest hopefully will not confuse you. That's the debt service there. The assistant finance director and I have discussed this and we're actually going to record it here. So five years from
now, 10 years from now, when you're having this conversation about the debt service on the bond, it will be in this fund. However, we're paying for it out of general fund. I'm going to take money from general fund and replenish the negative balance here. So hopefully
that's not too confusing. We are not recording it twice. We are recording it here and we're transferring money from general fund into here to make it whole. hate to I hate to make things go longer, but I got to ask. Is this where library
money would have been if there was library money? The library money, the hund the million9 that was received from insurance went into this fund. Yes. It's not there. No, we're in a negative cash position
right now in this I just a general question. Do we intend to rebuild a library or do we are we just I mean we need to let somebody know because I get tired of ask answering that question every day. I
think we were waiting for staff to bring us back some recommendations after meeting with the design team on what we could do um you know what possible options we would have going forward cuz based on the previous um non-binding referendum
questions the city the citizens basically said they do not want us to rebuild the library along with the additional 300 estimated $300,000 annual cost that it would take to um operate the library. However, they would like for us to use an existing city building
um to consider for the library. So, those are two juxtaposing thoughts is one don't rebuild a library, but yes, we want some type of media center or library. So, guess Mr. Lightoot could sort of give us an update on where we are in the discussion with the design that is supposed to be
brought back to us as the commission for us to make a decision going forward. So, yes, sir. That is one of the items we discussed in the strap plan and I've talked with you all about it. Um, do we want to add that into this year's budget for the design of what the architect can
do and then present it? Um, or do we want to hold off? I mean, as we talked about today, there are some budget deficits here. So, if we add it to the budget, of course, it's going to cost some more money. Um, but it's just a decision that the commission needs to direct us. Do do we want to move forward
with doing that architectural work? We don't even know where it's going to be right now. Right. Well, it would potentially be on the south side of the senior center expanding onto that building. Um, you know, demoing that shed that's there and then building onto that. There's a couple different options that the
architect could present to the commission. And wasn't that what 12,000? That's more than that. No, I mean to give us their Oh, the the architect fee. Yeah, probably something like I believe it was in that ballpark. Yes.
I think maybe we should at least spend the 12,000 to to get options from an architect. May I make a suggestion? Yes, ma'am. I am now not speaking as the finance
director. I am speaking as a citizen. I see a need for a recreation center. where the city could offer things for older adults. We do a really wonderful job addressing needs of children.
Well, we have a senior activity club and if we enhanced it, we could probably I was thinking more along the lines of classes, painting, ceramics, dance, that kind of thing. You could incorporate the cool stuff about a media center. You
do you do that. could incorporate a media center library into a recreation building. I think that would service a lot more of the community. Again, I'm not speaking as the finance director here. I'm speaking as a a cit citizen. What I
would use as a citizen, I'd love to be able to take dance classes, sewing classes, ceramics, that sort of thing. So if you were thinking in a long range planning mode 50 years from now, what would better service the community, I
think focusing on a recreation center with a media component and a library component would service far more residents than just a standalone library. That's my personal opinion. So now with that essentially putting us at
the sports complex then if we considering that we still have to use an existing city building or connect to an existing city building that'll put us out at the sports complex. Do we have any room at the sports complex? No sir. Okay.
We would have to kick the boys and girls club out. Okay. Um tell us how Now, are we able to use any of that space when they're not meeting?
Seniors, uh, when they're out of the building, they actually utilize the gymnasium for their dance classes, etc., etc. So, yes, when they're out when they're not using the building, it is for city use. Got it. Okay. All right. Thank you.
Ceramics is tough. You got to have an oven. You got to bake that stuff. So, am I understanding that the consensus is we want to squeeze the architectural things in? Yeah. I mean, we we do need to give the citizens some direction which we're thinking of going.
Let's look at options. Yeah. 12 grand to look at options. I mean, we've already spent what 500,000 on designing something we're not going to build. So, what do we get to talk to them before they do the little drawings?
Yes, sir. We can have a takeoff meeting. We can Yeah. get them under contract and then we can bring them into a workshop and have the commission think that would help everybody or we can do a a workshop, a community workshop and they can do a charade with you know what can what can be there. And
I guess I would just caution us just not to I mean we've already spent 500 grand and we we're not building what we spent 500 grand to design. So, just obviously 12,000 is not as much as 500 grand, but just be cautious as we're moving forward that we're not just continuing to spend
money and not making progress towards what we're actually objecting to do. So, that was the purpose of my comment. I would encourage you to think 30, 50 years out, what's going to better service the community over the long hall. All right. Um, next we have the COVID uh
fund. This is a little tiny pot of money that's left over from that event that uh I just budget $5,000 in there every year just in case it flares up again. And then lastly is the sir tax um fund
commonly referred to as 301. We're going to budget um another fire engine here. This is the the the big item here. So, we have a,36,122, [Music] a very specific number. I believe um
fire chief has a quote on Oh, I'm sorry. I don't have it on the screen, do I? Um so, in the paper document, it's pa p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p page 90 and again it's a fire engine for 1,36,122. [Music]
This is a different engine and we're going to be using sir tax money for that. I know there there were comments in the past. I can assure you since I've been in here u working for the city since January of 2020, we have
never used sir tax money for an engine. The last engine that we bought, I believe in 2021, we used general fund money to purchase that engine. It was not sir tax money. This is the first
time we are proposing to use sir tax money for our fire engine. There was some confusion about that in the uh public and I want to make sure that we're clear on that. We're also spending a million dollars in paving and um a few associated
uh projects. I know that Mr. Lightfoot can talk about the asphalt preservation money here for $250,000. Yeah, that project we're piggybacking off of one of Bay County's um contracts. They're utilizing our roadway tracking
software with the PCI scale and they'll look at the roads that can be preserved to prolong the life another 10 to 15 years by a rejuvenation. Do you have any questions about the sert tax money? This is is this budget neutral the spend
or or if we take it out for this year does it affect the budget? It has its own revenue. It doesn't affect the general revenue. It has its own revenue stream and it's one of those jars that I talked about. It's its own fund. It has money coming in spend it on certain things, right? You
can only spend that money on certain things. Correct. It's very restrictive, but emergency um fire and uh is allowed. We we are allowed to use this on a fire truck. So, you mentioned emergency. Would that
be able to cover the hoses and infrared cameras we talked about earlier? I'd have to review. I don't know that information off the top of my head. I have to go through the statute again and see if it applies. I know it specifically calls out fire engines. Got it.
Do we know We probably don't know at this point how much SER tax money we're going to be bringing in. Do we? I I can tell you what I um if you give me one moment, please, I'll go look. Can't recall if this is a hard number or
not or if this was my estimate. This is a hard number. On July 18th, the state gave us this number. So I have 2,579 coming in. But we're proposing 3396 because we have extra money.
We do have Yes, we have we have a piggy bank and sir tax. How much extra we have after the proposed budget? Do you know? Um I'm not I don't have that. If you don't have to give it to me now. Sorry. I give it to me later. It's fine. I'm sorry. If if you want to give it to me later, that's fine.
Sounds like it's rainy. It's rainy day money. What do we normally spend our tax money on? Generally paving. We have mostly used this for paving in the past and you're and you're but are we hurting on paving? So we would like to sit on the certax
money until we bring you all the headworks and influent pump station with the SRF stuff to see how much we could potentially offset from an SRF loan or what we could have to do there. So before we make a decision on spending more Certex money paving or something else, let's look at the the headworks
and the IPS. Perfect. And that's one of the reasons why the proposed fiscal year 26 operating cost is much lower than than the 2025 um 2025 you had this project here. We've
we've labeled as the senior center, but it was actually the um storm water pond and some infrastructure upgrades that tied to the senior center. So that project has been completed. I guess uh my question is but we still
had to we get a certain amount of sir tax every year money that comes in and we spent significantly more last year than this year. So you're so we're banking the difference. Yes sir. We are just holding off on committing all of what we're going to bring in until we make a decision on the
sewer plant. Okay. Yeah, that answers my question. Thanks. So that concludes the budget. All right. So, we are still sitting at the $3.2 million deficit that we started with then unless you instruct me to take the
rescue truck out of impact fees and I can look into the hoses out of the impact fees. But I will tell you if we do any port and aren't in yet. I know for sure we have enough money for the uh rescue truck. I don't know for
sure off the top of my head if we've got enough money for the hoses. But basically, we're going to be out of impact fees for right fire department. They're going to be gone. Revenues revenues might help when the state revenues come in. I mean, we we don't we don't have the
the final number yet. Revenues. We do not have the final revenue numbers from the state, but I can show you. We can go look right now. I checked it this morning, but we can do it again. I have placed on the document a link to
the website as it makes it easier for me. This is the website that we go to to get the state revenues. And you'll see see those there. It says expected August
25. expected August of 25. If it has a date there, then I have included it in the budget. Okie dokie. What other questions can I answer for you? I did have one question and I talked
with Mr. to like about this yesterday. And this last budget presentation, we got the hand out on the cost of construction for city hall and it included uh FEMA insurance, 428 projects, all of that.
But it it only showed us having $10 million for FEMA and insurance. So then that would put us at a a difference of I'm just using round numbers here. $8 million 74 I think it was to cover the rest of this uh building.
So then as I understand it, we're being told that FEMA insurance covered all of that. So where did we get the other insurance of FEMA money from for the to cover the 7.4 4 or did we use reser unreserved
general budget general fund money to cover that 7.4? We will be using general fund money to cover that 7.4. And again, it will it'll change. We are still trying to um secure additional dollars from FEMA. We have
not given up the fight. Uh as you are all aware, it's very slow and coming. I reported to you at the last meeting, I would fully expect that we're going to be talking about this for another two or three years before the project is closed out and that whole time we're going to
be asking for as much money as we are legally allowed. So that that number may change. That was only a progress report. Got it. So if we get all the money that we're supposed to receive, then would it would that then cover the 7.4 with FEMA
insurance? No, as of today, we need 7.4 of general fund for this building. Understand that, but I'm asking once we're reimbursed by the money that you're if we receive the money that you're pursuing from FEMA,
how much of that is going to cover the 7.4? I think what he's asking is if you if we get everything that we're asking for from FEMA, right, how much would that cover with the 7.4? And I think what we're pursuing for FEMA, I think it's about 5 million. I think is isn't it
right today? The accounts receivable balance, sorry, July 18th, the accounts receivable balance was $5.8 million. That was the most as of we could receive as of July 18th. I haven't reviewed those numbers since, so that may have
changed. If we are successful in gaining an uh more dollars for the temporary facilities, you remember there they didn't pay for all the temporary facilities. I think that's about a
million3 we're trying to get. Then there's about $700,000 that we're trying to get for the tetrch invoices. Um so those are potential ads. Okay. The reduction that we know is going to
happen is the animal shelter, the $600,000. So, I'm throwing numbers in the air without the paper in front of me, but the 5 million8 of the accounts
receivable from FEMA could go up by the uh $190,000 for the temporary trailers, the $700,000 for the um Tetrate Tech invoices, but it
will definitely go down by $600,000 for the animal shelter because we did not we did not build the animal shelter like we originally thought we were going to rebuild the building and there will be other adjustments to other projects as well. So again that
was just a progress report. It is nowhere near a final report. So then how much do we owe remaining? So with the 313 or the little over 300,000 that's all we owe remaining on construction. Correct.
We're done at that point. We still have the facilities maintenance building that we're working on. So again, I budgeted this building. This building. How we going to get That's all that's left on this building. Yes. How we going to get money from FEMA when FEMA's going to FEMA's going to send
down at the end of this year? Probably. You know what I mean? FEMA's going to morph into something else. So, I mean, we got we we we got our we should be squinting at that money. I mean, we, you know, it's not it's not in
our hands and may never be. Well, I I hope that's not the case. They they do have an obligation to the city. Uh, at this time, are there any questions from the public?
go rowby row. I'm sorry, I've got a lot of questions. Um, you're looking at a 5% shortfall on what you've got budgeted and what your revenue shows currently. Um, that's just a starting number and I I realize that your job is to be very conservative on
on everything, which is how it should be. um we're showing a 21% increase in advorum taxes income for 2026 with this 4.5 is what I see um by the numbers
looking at your first page in um so beware that 4.5 is higher. I mean it it's it's an increase. It's a revenue increase. It's 21% increase in advorum taxes and we're still short on funds.
Um there's a decrease in the infrastructure s tax that I wasn't sure why that was decreased as much as it did. Um and I'm going to talk mostly about revenue and not about spending is where I'm going to be is more on the revenue
side. So why are we showing such a difference in the infrastructure cir tax inflow for revenue? I'm I'm looking for you're talking about um the 301 in revenue.
Let's see page six. at page six. So you're going from a four 4.8 million revenue in 2025 to a 2.6 million revenue in 2026. Those are the numbers that I got from
the state and if they increase then I'll increase it. And that's that's again what we were talking about putting it aside for do you have the historical number like for 2024 what number? Not in front of me but I can certainly get it for you. But I just, you know, and I realize that once again, it's on
the conservative side, but I I would expect that infrastructure stir tax number to go up increase. Yes, sir. Right. Okay. Um, let's see. And I do on the infrastructure stir tax. Y'all talked about it. I'm glad you're thinking about using it for the headworks. You know, I
know it's a fund of money, but we should be using it for infrastructure. And we really need to start working on building some funds for this sewer treatment plant that we've got to build. So I think if possible where we can use the infrastructure short tax that's where we ought to be trying to accumulate and do
and let's not just pave a bunch of roads that that are okay right now. Um you're also showing the inflow from FEMA to be 400k for 2026 I believe. So you're not considering receiving any of what
we're hoping to get from FEMA other than just that 400k. Correct. Again, that's me being very conservative, right? I understand. I understand. And and again, should the 5.8 come in next year, we'll use that for the debt
service. Certainly. I I understand that. I just I'm just looking at the revenue numbers and because it was not really discussed up here. Revenue wasn't discussed very much. I wanted to look at that revenue because it is conservative. Um, and you talked
about the the state revenue getting revenue from the state. Do we have do you know what it was last year? What we got last year from the state revenue that we're you are currently waiting for the August numbers? They're not in the budget right now. Right. Right. That's the the screen I was just showing you that they're still not
available. Right. Do we know what those numbers look like last year? Yeah. On a line by line item, I couldn't tell you in aggregate. Okay. Okay. But if you have a specific question on a line item I'm not going to answer, but but those numbers are not in the budget right now. But
I used the fiscal 25 numbers. Okay. The fiscal 20s are not available. Okay. Okay. Um we had a there's a line item for reuse fees that went away. It's not a lot of money. It's um it went from something to z to
zero this year for 2026. Um It went from 159,000 in 2025 to zero. Um, it's on page seven. You are correct. And that may just have
we done away with reuse or we not No, that may just be an oversight. I need to look into that. Thank you for pointing it out. Okay. Um, let's see. Structures or text. Uh we're currently going to be
outsourcing and this is not quite revenue going to be outsourcing our building department permit permitting. Correct. And that's included in this. We see that as a cost as as an estimate. Yes. Okay. Because that is going to be a significant difference where we were
doing it inhouse and now we're sending it out. Yes, sir. Okay. Um I think that's almost it. Can I meet with Kiki and talk about the budget more in depth? Of course. I just want to make sure that that it's okay for me to meet with Kiki and and
talk to her through a lot of this stuff because this is kind of a high level view of things and I'd like to get a little more in depth. The way I look with her too. I mean the way I look at you're a resident just like anybody else and anybody should be able to meet her. So I welcome any and all questions from the
commission and the residents anytime. I just wanted to make sure it was clear that that I could do that. Um, when I look at this the sports complex or the sports and wreck, you'd ask the question. When I add the numbers up on
revenue, I get about 272K coming in to sports and wrecks through registration fees and special event fees and and such as that. And that puts it about 1.2 two million outflow above above that that we spend on sports and wreck that we don't
get in. So running our sports and rec department is costing us about 1.2 million by what I see in there and you can correct me or we can talk about it later. But that's what I see the the cost you had asked that question and I just went through quick quickly and added
stuff up. So um that's what I see. Anyway, those were my questions and I will get with you too. Happy to do it. tell. Thank you. Uh, next row. Yes, sir. That we're on your row.
Are you representing your row? Are you representing your row? Okay. Okay. I do have a bad habit of being nominated for things. Um, I'm just going to go generalities here. I I pick You got to be very
careful in picking your subjects and your battles. Um, but um, I've listed three subjects here. I'm not going to go into deep facts because I do get in conversations with this young lady here very extensively and she's very good at
answering questions. Um, a long time we've been looking at Jamie, Commissioner Jamie has always asked for the bottom line on the building of this this um, I'm not going to get into that
because you've you've asked the question. My concerns are the CRA, the EDA, and the library. Um, in generalities, state of Florida is looking at the concept of the CRA and getting rid of
it. We got to take a good look at that. We are CRA director, which I've been very familiar with, and being a chairman of the CRA at one time, the CRA advisory board is a
fictitious board. It does nothing. All it is there is to rank. That's all it is. It has no legal power to tell you what to do with the money. They don't have that. Shouldn't even be in the sunshine
group. They don't make decisions. They rank. Good one was the things you discussed about the trackers. They shot that down. You went ahead and the board is the
controlling interest. That is you with your different hats on not you right now hats. CRA is completely separate of everything. It's under Florida statutes set up in 2002,
2003, 2004. First director was a disqualified person from the animal control. Other word dog catcher. However,
its original idea was to get rid of the bad buildings in the city. That's been done. The hurricane took care of that. You failed with the CRA. The hurricane took care of it.
All right. I agree with the state. Along the line, you had the um committee set up with Selena and his merry men to deal with a a part of the CRA. They were
disbanded. Thank God. All they did was take money from the CRA, $3,000, $300,000 a year, and use it for projects they never finished.
Mr. Schubert got rid of that. Your EDA director was taken out and he is part of CRA. However, he is a part-time employee separate of the CRA. It is a CRA
director. If we need an EDA director, let's get an EDA director. Let's let the CRA director do his job 100%. He's paid for by the CRA. His benefits are given to him from the CRA. He's
under employment from the CRA director board, not the city of Linhaven. He is separate. However, he's being used as a tool by four
forefront sea managers that we've had here. He has been a lackey of that person for years. That's bad. Should work for you. Throw the hat on. Okay. Take a look at getting rid of CRA. The
income from the CRA is quite excessive. Now, TIFF, $600,000 a year. Your surplus in there is very expensive. You could use that as your tax money.
Get rid of the CRA. You don't need it. Think all the CRA projects are already incorporated in the city's projects outside the CRA. You've already got it covered with your
building codes and everything like that. So that takes care of the CRA. You got to look at that coming up. It's sun setting in a couple of years. Time to get rid of it. The EDA director I discovered. Okay. Under the EDA department, we are paying
Bay County $34,000 a year to do what? Since I've been here, the EDA from Bay County has been nothing. We're just giving them money and they're walking away with it. We have an EA director.
That's his job. He's been doing it. Take that $34,000, give it to him, set up a good EDA department here for us. That doesn't mean we can't go in concise and use EDA Bay County or they
use us. That's what getting along together is. So, we're looking at the EDA department. I think we could take good look at revamping that and helping out a county and they help us.
The library is a sore subject. You had an idea. I love it. I love ideas. I gave you an idea. This could have been done, paid for. You wouldn't have lost a scent and you would have had your own library
and you would have had parking for the upgrade of Florida Avenue. Same time, but the building that we profess to say could be the library has additional parking.
That's for this area. It would have been paid for. You had $1.9 million. You've already invested a lot of money into the uh extension to the senior center.
The infrastructure's been approved. Property is there. The architectural drawings have been done. All finished, paid for, and you're not going to use it. The 1.9 million you had over here, you
reduced by giving a percentage of it to the U architecture drawings and exactly that the remainder 1.6 sits there. You were told the building could be
bought already there with parking with structure gutted for a price maybe of a million dollars. We haven't even discussed with the person the owners. You could have got it for a million dollars.
You revamped the whole senior center from the staff that works here in the building department. Didn't cost you that much. You can have that done. You can turn the library back to the ladies that gave you the library for
almost a hundred years free of charge. they could manage it. You were offered the old library. You didn't want that. Got to take a good look at the library itself. What can you get
for your amount of money that you had? That $1.6 million is gone. We've tried to find out where it went. We think it's in the general fund. We don't know. We think it's been paid to the debt. We don't know.
Very hard to get transparency out of anybody here where money is. Example, how much did this building really cost? How much will it cost? How much money is still there? Those are the three subjects I think we brought up in
here that I'm looking at. You've been given answers. I don't know if you made the right decision. The referendum that was on the election is not the right way to go. When you tell people that they want a library, you're going to get an increase
in tax. No way. People right now don't want an increase in tax. You're going to see that you're asking the people to bail you out again? Yes. We're here for that. We're not here to be abused.
Thank you. take a good look at those three subjects as you go through the next coming year. May I answer a couple of those things? Yes. Currently today, this building $18
million. Okay. $18 million for this building. all of the insurance proceeds including the money for the past library $18 million8 I know these
numbers get confusing because they're so similar but this is a different $18 million8 went into fund 101 hurricane Michael disaster recovery that fund now is in a negative cash
position of $300 and something thousand All right. Thank you for that clarity. Miss Walker, you have any questions? All right. Anyone else on your row? All right. Mr. Snder, any questions? Guess you're the representative for the
Finance Review Committee. All right. Snider 309 Virginia. Um, no real questions, just more of an encouragement. Uh, this is obviously a tough task. It's not anything that anybody wants to do. Um, but I believe that you guys are up to it if you work
together to accomplish it. I think you're going to put us in a better position going forward. So, more of a thank you. I know you guys don't get a lot of those. Have a good day. Thank you. And any other questions from the public?
That looks good. All right. So, uh, I guess our next question is obviously we're going to have to look over this, digest this. Um, when do we need to come back? I know we're going to come back in September. Uh, well, yeah, that'll be September.
our next time come back to actually give you some hard numbers on well I I know this is difficult but I have to present to you um the tentative budget sorry I always get these terms confused
proposed budget on uh the September 9th meeting what I'm garnering from the discussion here is you want me to use as many impact fees as I can for the fire equipment Would that be a true statement? Yes.
Okay. I will make those adjustments. I will get together with Mr. Bashers and address his concerns. I will continue to monitor the state for better revenue numbers. I'm telling you now the budget will
change between now and and uh September 9th, but I will have to present you a document on puh December 9th for you to review and approve. That's part of the trim process. That meeting has to be
scheduled after 5:00. So, I've discussed this and on your consent agenda, we are changing the time of the meeting on September 9th to 5:30. Um the CRA will meet prior to that on the same date.
They'll um Mr. Jenkee will present his budget first. You've done this before. You know how this works. Um he'll present his budget as a standalone budget for the CRA. Then I will present the budget as amended per your
instructions and with better numbers. And then we can make additional changes if you like at the final meeting in September. That's when that's it's done. It's that's what we present to the state.
Is it possible that in that pre-commission meeting preceding the September 9th that you would give us any because once those revenue numbers are in, you have a better idea of what that 3.2 looks like. I can give you an update then. Sure. Of
course you give us an update to and then possible um recommendations for budget cuts that we could review. Therefore, when we come on September 9th, we can be better informed on what we would like to consider looking at. Again, I should have much better numbers
by then. And mayor to that week um that the pre-commission meeting like to schedule one-on- ones um with each commissioner and the finance director so we can go over the budget again. And by that time, you all would have enough time to review what you've learned today, develop more
questions if you have any, and then also maybe have a better understanding of of any cuts that you all would like to see um that we could prepare for for that pre-commission meeting. All right, sounds good. And that'll be after Labor Day. So, I think that'll be
that that week of Labor Day, I guess. Yes, we'll try to schedule that Tuesday through Thursday there with everyone and then be ready for that pre-commission meeting. Your pre your pre-commission meeting would be Friday the 5th of September. All right. Um, anything else from the
commission for I was just going to say thank you to finance department and all your staff for putting this together. I I found this very beneficial. Um, thank you. I appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you.
All right, Commissioner Peeles. I just want to piggy back and say thanks. This was awesome. Thank you, Nintender. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I wish you would just uh make the recommendations and we go yes or no. I
trust everything you say. Thank you. All right. Awesome. Well, thank you to our citizens that came and hung out with us this morning. Sorry we don't have lunch, but go out and enjoy.